Setting Up Default Referrals and Requests

Default referrals/requests can be used for those referrals/requests that use common data, for example, your ENT referrals will usually go to the same department and provider.

Default referrals/requests can then be either:

• Selected as required

or

• Triggered by specified Read codes. You can set up more than one default for each Read code should you have a choice of providers in your area

1. From Consultation Manager , select the patient required and start a consultation if required.
2. There are two ways to set up default referrals/requests either:
   • Select List - Default Referrals/Requests, right click in Select Default and select Add Default.

     or

   • From within the Referral - Add or Request - Add screen, complete the screen in the usual way and then select Default . Any details added to the referral/request are carried through to the default.

3. The Defaults for Referrals/Requests - Add screen displays:

4. Complete as follows:
   • Description - Enter a brief description of the default referral or request, we recommend you prefix this with the hospital initials, for example SLH - ENT Routine, WGH - Haematology, WGH - Respiratory Problems.

   • Auto Save - Tick to save a referral or request without displaying the Referral - Add or Request - Add screen, if any mandatory details are not completed the screen displays regardless. Leave unticked to display the - Add screen and print the referral letter or request labels.

   • Always Private - This has three states:
     • Greyed out - The referral/request defaults to the patient's registration status, for example a private patient results in a private referral.
     • Ticked - The referral is always private
     • Unticked - The referral/request is always NHS.
   • In Practice - This has three states:
     • Greyed out - Follows the Source choice.
     • Ticked - The referral/request is always made from your practice.
     • Unticked - To record incoming referrals/requests from elsewhere.
   • Select Letter - Select Select Letter and select the default referral letter if required.
   • READ Term for Referral Reason - Select the Read code to trigger this default referral, this can be a very general code, for example simply H for respiratory problems, see Finding a Read Code for details.
   • Source - Select if required.
   • Referral Type - Select from the list available.
   • Attendance Type - Select if required.
   • Urgency - Select if required.
   • Contract Status - Select if required.
   • Action Date - The date by which you would expect treatment to have started. Enter a time period here, for example, 7D for seven days, or 3M for three months. Action dates can be searched on, there are no actions triggered once overdue.
   • Unit - Select if required
   • Department - Select if required.
   • Consultant - Select if required.
   • NHS Specialty - Select if required.
   • TP Specialty - Select if required.

5. Select OK to save and close.

Any existing Referral/Request Defaults can be displayed from List - Default Referrals/Requests.