Referrals

Urgent Fast Track Referrals

If you were told by your doctor that your referral was an urgent referral to check for cancer, you should receive details of your appointment within 2 weeks.

Please make contact with us if you have not been contacted.

Tracking a referral

NHS Care Gateway

Many of the referrals sent by the surgery are electronic and use the NHS Care Gateway. You can expect to receive a telephone call or letter within 3 weeks. If you have not heard from them in this time, please contact:

Website: https://gmintegratedcare.org.uk/care-gateway/

Telephone: 0161 947 0770

Email: contactus.tcg@nhs.net

To track a referral, you can also fill out a track a referral form.

Why have I been referred?
Your GP will discuss with you and, if appropriate, your carer, about why a referral is being recommended for you. It is usually because your GP wants a specialist’s help in deciding on the best way to treat your condition. This might involve referring you for tests or investigations that cannot be carried out at you GP practice.

What happens next?
If your GP decides that you need referring, a letter will be completed and sent to the Care Gateway team to process on your behalf. Your referral will be reviewed and if appropriate will go for further clinical assessment for the condition you are being referred for or straight to the booking stage.

Further clinical assessment – Triage
A clinical assessment is a detailed review of your referral letter carried out by a specialist clinician. This determines which type of service is most appropriate for you based on the information your GP has included in your referral letter.

The outcome of this process may be:

  • The reviewing clinician recommends a course of treatment that your GP may not have tried and they recommend this to your GP.
  • You are offered treatment by a clinician at a local community based service with more specialist knowledge.
  • You are offered treatment at a hospital by a clinician with more specialist knowledge.

The booking stage
If/when your referral reaches the booking stage, a member of the Care Gateway team will try to contact you via telephone or letter to discuss the choices of treatment and providers available to you. In the majority of cases the team will book your appointment with you.

If the Care Gateway team have not had correspondence with you, an appointment will be generated on your behalf and you will receive the appointment details by post.

Where can I find out more
Further information can be accessed via the following website: manchesterccg.nhs.uk/gateway

Patient Choice

– a new system for some patients who have waited 40+ weeks.

A new system is being set up where some patients who have waited a long time for planned hospital care or treatment can request to move provider.

For further information please visit: Alternative choice | Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership (gmintegratedcare.org.uk)

MSK Self Referral

MSK Physiotherapy self referral is a system which allows you to refer yourself directly to a physiotherapist without having to see a doctor first.

You can self refer yourself directly to a Community MSK Physiotherapy Clinic via your GP surgery if you meet the following criteria:
– 18 years old or over
– Injuries or conditions affecting your joints, muscles and tendons
– Back or neck pain
– Sports injuries
– Arthritis
– If you are under 18 years of age
– If you require treatment for a neurological condition including stroke, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, motor neuron disease etc.
– If you are in need of mobility aids such as a walking stick, crutches, frames etc.
– If you are housebound
– If you are pregnant with back pain during pregnancy or up to 3 months after delivery (you will need to see your local women’s health team like a St Mary’s Hospital who accept self referrals directly by calling 0161 276 6411)

If your referral is not appropriate it will be rejected and sent back to your GP who will decide on the next step in the management of your condition.
We request that you refer for just one condition per referral. This is to keep waiting times down and improve the quality of your care.
Please complete a physiotherapy self referral form. It is important that you complete the form fully, making sure your address and contact details are up to date and giving as much information as possible regarding your condition. Any missing information may result in a delay in you being seen.
Your GP surgery will check your referral before forwarding this to the Community MSK Physiotherapy team. You will then be added to our waiting list. Once you are at the front of the waiting list the physiotherapy department will send you a letter requesting you to phone us and book your initial assessment.

Community Physiotherapy Clinics are based within Community Health Centres and not at the hospital.