Electronic Referral and Discharge

NHS e-Referral Service (formerly Choose and Book)

Your GP is able to refer you to the hospital or another health service provider electronically. This is known as e-referral. 

You are then able to choose which hospital or clinic to go to for your outpatient appointment. This may depend on how quickly you want to be seen and where you want to be seen.

Once you have decided on a hospital, you can book your first outpatient appointment. The service allows you to choose a date and time for your appointment that is convenient for you.

Approximately 98% of referrals in Somerset are done electronically. This is much higher than the national average.

Information regarding your stay or follow-up treatment

Your GP is then able to receive information about your visit to hospital, including follow-up treatment, electronically in the form of a discharge summary. Some hospitals are also able to send other clinical correspondence such as follow-up letters from your consultant in this way.

This means that:

• Clinical decision-making information can be shared quicker
• There is less risk of letters being delayed or lost in the post
• It is easier and faster for doctors to include relevant information on your condition.

Electronic discharge summaries are relatively new to Somerset and other clinical letters will be sent electronically over time.