Referral Letter Template
A well-structured referral letter ensures the specialist has the information needed to triage and assess your patient without delay. Use this template as a guide or let WhiteFieldHealth generate it from a consultation recording.
WhiteFieldHealth
Built for reviewable clinical documentation, not generic AI output.
When to use a referral letter
Referral letters are required whenever a GP or primary care clinician needs specialist input, whether for investigation, diagnosis, or treatment. A structured letter reduces back-and-forth queries, prevents duplicate tests, and ensures the patient is triaged at the correct urgency. This format follows NHS e-Referral Service expectations and is suitable for both electronic and paper-based referral pathways.
Worked example: GP to cardiology referral
Patient Details
Name: Mr James R. Patterson. DOB: 14/03/1971 (age 54). NHS Number: 943 812 7654. Address: 28 Elm Close, Swindon, SN2 4LP. Registered GP: Dr A. Sharma, Parkview Medical Centre.
Reason for Referral
Urgent cardiology assessment requested for investigation of recurrent exertional chest pain with abnormal resting ECG findings.
Clinical History
Mr Patterson presents with a 6-week history of central chest tightness on moderate exertion (walking uphill, climbing two flights of stairs), relieved by rest within 5 minutes. No pain at rest. No associated dyspnoea, palpitations, or syncope. Past medical history: hypertension (diagnosed 2019, well controlled on ramipril 5 mg), hypercholesterolaemia (atorvastatin 20 mg), BMI 29.1. Family history: father had MI aged 58. Non-smoker. Alcohol 8 units/week. QRISK3 score 18.4%.
Current Medications
1. Ramipril 5 mg OD. 2. Atorvastatin 20 mg ON. 3. Aspirin 75 mg OD (commenced on telephone advice from cardiology pending appointment). No known drug allergies.
Investigations
Resting 12-lead ECG (02/03/2026): sinus rhythm, rate 68 bpm, T-wave inversion in leads V4–V6. FBC, U&E, LFT: all within normal limits. Fasting lipids: total cholesterol 5.2 mmol/L, LDL 3.1 mmol/L, HDL 1.2 mmol/L. Troponin I (02/03/2026): <5 ng/L (normal). HbA1c: 39 mmol/mol.
Requested Action
I would be grateful for urgent cardiology review and consideration of exercise tolerance testing or CT coronary angiography to investigate possible stable angina. Please advise on further management including whether up-titration of statin therapy is indicated. I have commenced aspirin in the interim. Patient is aware of the referral and has been advised to attend A&E if chest pain occurs at rest or lasts >15 minutes.
Tips for effective referral letters
Lead with the reason
State the referral reason in the opening sentence so the receiving clinician can triage appropriately without reading the entire letter.
Include investigation results
Attach or summarise all relevant results with dates. This prevents duplicate investigations and speeds up the specialist review.
List medications clearly
Use a numbered list with doses and frequencies. Flag recent changes or additions so the specialist can assess suitability.
Be explicit about what you want
End with a clear request. Vague referrals lead to delays. State the investigation or opinion you are seeking and the urgency level.
Flag urgency appropriately
Use recognised urgency categories (urgent, soon, routine) and include safety-netting advice given to the patient in the interim.
How WhiteFieldHealth generates referral letters automatically
After a consultation, WhiteFieldHealth extracts the referral reason, clinical history, medications, and investigation results from the transcript and maps them into a structured letter ready for review. Drug interactions and NICE guideline references are checked automatically via the AI medical scribe pipeline, so the letter arrives at the specialist with supporting evidence already included.
Purpose-built for GP practices across the UK. See pricing for plan details.
Generate referral letters automatically
Record the consultation, and WhiteFieldHealth produces a structured referral letter ready for specialist review in seconds.