REFERRAL TO SPECIALIST DOCTORS
If you need referral to a specialist, your doctor (GP) will be happy to discuss this with you and make the necessary arrangements, either using local NHS hospital services, or if preferred, local private specialists. On-going communication between specialist and GP aims to ensure good continuity of care and safe practice.
Caution: Many of our patients from abroad are used to taking themselves directly to private specialists, without GP referral. If you do this in the UK, this can adversely affect the quality of care; also your GP will not be obliged to sign your private Health Insurance claim form. So it is always better to discuss the referral with your GP first. We always try to get you the earliest possible appointment, but there are often delays owing to the pressures on the system. Truly urgent cases can usually be seen quickly.
Please Note: It can take up to seven days to generate a non-urgent referral letter. While we always respect specialist advice, we are not always able to prescribe medication suggested by the specialist if it does not fall within the PCT formulary (a limited list of medications, based on proven efficacy and cost-effectiveness). In these cases, we will always try to prescribe an equivalent medication, of equal effectiveness from the PCT formulary.