[insert Practice Letterhead]
[insert date]
Dear [Recipient’s Name],
Re: Referral Processes for Patients Exercising the Right to Choose
We wish to clarify our Practice position on utilising online portals for referral, as supported by Surrey and Sussex LMCs.
General practices are committed to supporting patient choice and to ensuring safe, timely, and clinically appropriate referrals to all commissioned providers. However, we have received increasing requests from providers asking us to register for and utilise multiple proprietary online referral portals that do not integrate with NHS clinical systems and do not allow automatic population of clinical information.
1. Core Responsibility: Safe Clinical Handover
The professional and contractual responsibility of general practice is to ensure a safe clinical handover of care. This is achieved through the provision of a comprehensive referral letter containing the relevant clinical information, history, and supporting documentation.
This remains the standard and appropriate method of referral unless a nationally commissioned, interoperable NHS system is specified.
2. System Integration and Information Governance
Many third-party portals currently in use require manual data entry and duplication of clinical information outside of NHS clinical systems. This introduces:
- Additional administrative burden and clinical risk
- Potential information governance concerns
- Increased likelihood of transcription errors
- Inefficient use of NHS clinical time and resources
Practices are not resourced, commissioned, or contractually obliged to maintain access to multiple external systems that do not integrate with established NHS workflows.
3. Contractual and Operational Position
GP practices are independent contractors operating within defined contractual frameworks. There is no contractual requirement for practices to:
- Register for or maintain accounts on multiple provider-specific portals
- Re-enter clinical data into non-integrated systems
- Undertake additional administrative steps beyond producing a safe and clinically appropriate referral
Accordingly, practices cannot be required to use a specific portal as a condition of accepting a referral.
4. Referral Method
Our policy is that referrals will be made via one of the following standard mechanisms:
- NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS), where available
- Secure NHS email
- Other nationally recognised interoperable systems
A structured referral letter will be provided to ensure safe transfer of clinical responsibility.
If your organisation requires additional administrative steps beyond receipt of a referral letter, these processes must be managed within your own service infrastructure and should not rely on additional work by referring GP practices.
Summary
We will continue to:
- Support patients exercising their Right to Choose
- Provide timely and clinically appropriate referral letters
- Ensure safe handover of care
However, we will not be required to engage with multiple non-integrated referral portals as a prerequisite for referral acceptance.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in supporting safe, efficient, and sustainable patient care.
Yours sincerely,
[Your practice name]
Download Template Letter: Rejection of RTC Online Portal Use