Glossary, documentation
What is a referral letter?
A referral letter is a letter from one clinician to another, or to a service, asking them to assess or take over part of a patient's care. It sets out the reason for referral, the relevant history, findings and medication, and the question the referring clinician wants answered.
Updated . Defined by the wai team for clinics, groups and health systems.
Also called medical referral letter, specialist referral or GP referral letter.
Why Referral letter matters to a clinic
A referral is a handover of risk. If the letter leaves out an allergy, a result or the urgency, the receiving clinician starts blind and the patient waits longer for the right care.
For a private clinic, referral letters are also relationships. GPs and consultants who receive clear, prompt letters refer back, and a letter that goes out the same day reads as a well-run clinic.
The signed letter, the date it went and the recipient belong on the patient's record, where an audit or a complaint will look for them.
Questions
What should a referral letter include?
The reason for referral and its urgency, the relevant history, examination findings, results, current medication and allergies, and the question the specialist is asked to answer.
Can an AI scribe write a referral letter?
Yes. wai drafts the referral from the same consultation as the note, and the clinician reads, edits and signs it before it is sent. See the scribe.
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A 15 minute video call on your own diary, notes and inbox. Prices for clinics, groups and hospitals are on the pricing page.