Referrals
What happens when you are referred by your GP to see a specialist?
When you need to be seen by a specialist, the Strand Medical is committed to ensuring that whenever possible you receive an outpatient appointment at a provider of your choice.
To help you to make the most appropriate choice, we are working with a team of Patient Choice Navigators.
After you have seen your GP, and together you have agreed that you need to be referred for specialist treatment, Strand Medical will forward your referral to the team of Patient Choice Navigators at NHS Coastal West Sussex Clinical Commissioning Group who, using the NHS e-Referral System (formally Choose and Book) will help you to make an informed choice. In accordance with the NHS Constitution, you have the right to choose when and where you wish to be treated and in a timely manner.
Your GP will provide you with a telephone number for you to contact the team. You are then asked to contact the Patient Choice Navigators five days after seeing your GP so they can work with you to book your appointment.
Following discussion with you, the Patient Choice Navigators will send your referral on to the hospital or community provider of your choice. They will then contact you to confirm your appointment. Please note, if you do not make contact with the PCN team within 10 days of your referral then an appointment will be booked for you on your behalf.
If you have any concerns or questions about your information being passed to the Patient Choice Navigators then please speak to a member of the practice team. Information will only be shared when you have agreed with your GP that a referral is the best course of action.
Chase / Track a referral
Due to the ongoing pandemic the waiting times for certain treatments are much higher than the NHS would normally like. Once the surgery has submitted your referral we are unable to trace the current waiting times of individual referrals and would recommend that the patient contacts the service you have been referred to direct.
Below is a list of useful telephone numbers that you can call to obtain any available updates to your referral:
| 2 week rule referrals | Patients referred will be sent a letter in the post with full contact details. |
| Referral Support Service/Team (RSS/RST) | Telephone: 01903 70805211am-4pm (Weekdays except Wednesdays) |
| MATT/MSKAll Musculoskeletal/Pain Clinic/Orthopaedic/Rheumatology/Joint Problems | Telephone: 01243 865418 |
| OneCall (Housebound patients) | Telephone: 01903 254789 |
| Echocardiogram Referrals | Telephone: 0333 2020300 |
| Community Ultrasound Service (Sussex Medical Chambers) | Telephone: 01903 503447 |
| Worthing Hospital Switchboard | Telephone: 01903 205111 |
