Hospital and Specialist Referrals
This page explains how hospital and specialist referrals work, who to contact about a hospital appointment, and how to ask for an ADHD or autism assessment.
On this page:
- Hospital and Specialist Referrals
- Questions About a Hospital Appointment
- Urgent Referrals for Suspected Cancer
- Right to Choose Referrals for ADHD and Autism
- Local NHS ADHD and Autism Referrals
Hospital and Specialist Referrals
If you and your GP agree that you need to see a specialist, our medical secretary will send your referral through the NHS e-Referral Service.
For most consultant-led outpatient services, you have the right to choose which hospital or service you are referred to. Your GP will talk through your options with you.
Once your referral has been sent, the hospital or service will review it and contact you directly. Sometimes the specialist may send advice to your GP instead of offering an appointment.
What happens when you are referred by your GP to see a specialist (NHS England leaflet, PDF)
Questions About a Hospital Appointment
Once you have been referred, we are not told the date or time of your hospital appointment. If you have a question about your appointment, please contact the hospital or service directly.
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), West Sussex Single Point of Access: 0300 304 0462
- ENT, Queen Alexandra Hospital: 023 9228 6000, extension 4045
- Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth, outpatient booking: 023 9268 1700
- Radiology (imaging), St Richard’s Hospital: 01243 831781
- Suspected cancer fast track (University Hospitals Sussex): 0300 131 3949
- University Hospitals Sussex outpatient booking centre (including St Richard’s, Worthing and Southlands hospitals): 0300 131 6770, Monday to Thursday 8am to 6pm and Friday 8am to 5pm
You can also email the University Hospitals Sussex outpatient booking centre at uhsussex.outpatients.bookingcentre@nhs.net.
Urgent Referrals for Suspected Cancer
If your GP refers you urgently to check for cancer, you should be told whether cancer has been diagnosed or ruled out within 28 days of your referral. This is known as the Faster Diagnosis Standard.
Your first appointment may be for a test or a telephone consultation. Please make sure you attend or answer it, as this helps you get your results as quickly as possible.
Right to Choose Referrals for ADHD and Autism
Under the NHS Right to Choose, you can ask to be referred to a provider of your choice for an ADHD assessment, an autism assessment, or both. This applies to adults and children. For a child, a parent or guardian completes and sends in the forms.
How It Works
- Choose a provider that offers Right to Choose assessments.
- Complete the provider’s referral forms yourself. Our GPs cannot complete providers’ online forms for you.
- Send the completed forms to us, either by email to southbourne.surgery@nhs.net or as a printed copy handed in at reception. Please include the patient’s full name and date of birth, and send only what the provider asks for.
- A GP will review and sign the forms, and we will send them to the provider.
Right to Choose referral leaflet (PDF)
Shared Care Prescribing
We do not accept shared care prescribing agreements from private providers, including Right to Choose providers, and we do not issue prescriptions on behalf of Right to Choose providers. Please check with your chosen provider how any medication would be prescribed and continued before you are referred.
Shared care and Right to Choose providers: information for patients (Word document)
Shared care agreements: information for patients (Word document)
Local NHS ADHD and Autism Referrals
These referrals are to local NHS assessment services, not under Right to Choose.
Adult ADHD
Our guide explains the questionnaires and information we need to support a referral for a local NHS ADHD assessment. Once you have completed them, please send them to us, either by email to southbourne.surgery@nhs.net or as a printed copy handed in at reception. A GP will review them and make the referral.
Adult ADHD referral guide (PDF)
Adult Autism
Please write a short summary of why you think you may be autistic, and how this affects your daily life, work and relationships. This gives the assessment service the information it needs. Send it to us, either by email to southbourne.surgery@nhs.net or as a printed copy handed in at reception, and a GP will review it.
For mental health support for adults, including talking therapies, see our Mental Health page.
Children
Local NHS assessments for children are carried out by the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), and the referral is usually best made by the child’s school. Our letter for parents and guardians explains how this works.
ADHD and autism: letter for parents and guardians (PDF)
For emotional wellbeing and mental health support while you wait, see Children and Young People on our Mental Health page.
Please do not use our email address for anything urgent.
