Referrals and booking services 

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Referral booking and management services

 

We want to make it as easy as possible for patients who are referred for treatment by their GP to book a convenient appointment.

 

Background:

 

Our Referral Booking Management Service (RBMS) was set up to

·        Help deliver choice to all patients by December 2005.

·        Provide a central point for all referrals to be sent and processed.

·        Develop the electronic booking system, choose and book.

 

Click here for information about choice

Click here for information about the choose and book system

  

Family doctors refer thousands of patients every week for appointments with hospital consultants or other providers of specialist care. But what happens to all those referral letters? And how do the appointments get booked?

 

GPs are able to refer by using an electronic booking system, called choose and book, or, alternatively, using the traditional method of a paper referral, which can be sent either by post, fax or email.

 

The referring GP will then ask the patient to contact the RBMS in order to activate the referral.

 

When the patient calls, they will be offered a choice of provider and in most cases they will agree a convenient date and time with their chosen provider. In some cases this may not be possible and the patient will be advised on when to expect to be contacted with an appointment date.

 

Any queries from either the patient or the GP will be handled by the RBMS, in particular if an appointment can’t be arranged straight away.

 

Service opening times are:

 

     Monday – Friday, 8am – 7.30pm

     Saturdays, 8.30am – 1pm

 

If you would like further information, contact Jane Wolstenholme, RBMS Manager, on 01204 462860 or by email at jane.wolstenholme@bolton.nhs.uk

 

Referrals and information for GPs