A referral letter does not itself establish an appointment; apply through the receiving specialist clinic's process. Check the specialty, clinic, referral date, documents, and submission route first. After submission, distinguish receipt from the actual appointment confirmation. If a relative helps, preserve the patient's understanding and authorisation and avoid sharing medical documents in a group for public interpretation. The referral's clinical details support the clinic's assessment rather than a self-selected priority.
What to have ready
Before you start
HA triages new referrals by clinical condition rather than submission order alone. Some hospitals support HA Go BookHA and counter submissions, with clinic-specific exceptions and validity requirements. North District and Prince of Wales Hospital materials identify identity, a recent medical referral, and address information among requirements. Use those pages for the relevant hospital and confirm your destination instead of treating every hospital's arrangement as identical. Keep a copy of what was submitted and a reliable contact for follow-up.
What to do, step by step
- Ask the referring doctor which specialty and hospital to approach and check the receiving clinic's current documents and referral-validity rules.
- Submit through the correct route and retain reference and status, enquiring about a missing confirmation instead of indiscriminately duplicating submissions.
- Check date, location, and originals to bring, and prepare your medicine list, questions, and transport while following the team's medication instructions.
- Seek rescheduling early through the clinic's process. Contact the care team about deterioration and obtain appropriate immediate care for an acute condition.
Costs, timing, and things to check
Cancellation, default, and rescheduling can have different referral requirements. Do not assume the old letter remains valid indefinitely, and check the next arrangement after each visit.
Published waiting information is indicative, not a promised date for your case. Do not change medicine yourself or delay necessary immediate treatment while waiting.
A practical example
When a relative submits a referral, confirm authorisation and copy requirements and save the reference. Once scheduled, enter the date in the calendar and keep originals and a medicine list in one folder. If the condition later worsens, tell the clinic what changed rather than repeatedly refreshing a waiting-time page; the clinical team can assess the appropriate response.
Follow up submission, the appointment, and clinical changes separately with the receiving clinic.
Official information and enquiries
These are the reference and service entry points for this guide. Check current fees, eligibility, and schedules with the authority. The preparation date is not each source's official update date.