How do I chase a referral?

Once a referral has been made by the GP or ANP we are not advised when your appointment will be made.  This is the responsibility of the health care provider to whom you have been referred.

For referrals to hospital you should call CRS (Central Referral Service) on 0300 123 0771 who can advise you of the current status of your referral.

For ophthalmology (eyes), or to rearrange an appointment please call the Broomfield Appointments line 01245 513900

Radiology which includes MRI and CT scans as well as x-rays and some ultrasound scans please call Broomfield Hospital Radiology Department on 01245 514301

Community Ultrasounds are provided by Essex Ultrasound on 01268 947000

Endoscopy is provided by InHealth and their referral centre number is  0333 212 3187

Below you will find some useful information which will help you understand more clearly the process your referral goes through when it leaves the surgery.

In the first instance, your referral is forwarded to the Central Referral Service (CRS).  Please note your referral is not sent directly to Broomfield Hospital so please do not call them.

Once the team at the CRS have reiewed your referral to ensure it is forwarded to the most appropriate service, you will be sent paperwork inviting you to book your appointment through the “Choose and Book” referral system.  In most cases this will be Broomfield Hospital unless you discussed an alternative preferred hospital with your GP at your appointment.  You will be invited to book your appointment through the number given on your paperwork when it arrives but in order to do this you will need the password also sent to you in the paperwork – generally printed on the back page.  Please keep this safe, but if by any chance you mislay your password, you can call CRS on 0300 123 0771 between 2-6pm who will be able to assist.

Please do not call the surgery as we do not have access to this information. 

Please also CLICK HERE to see an information leaflet which details what you can expect when referred by your GP to a hospital specialist.

The link below gives additional information about what to expect when you are referred to a specialist.

https://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/AboutNHSservices/doctors/Documents/What-happens-when-you-are-referred.pdf

Imaging requests – Update from Mid Essex Hospitals

October 2021.

Since the start of the pandemic, we do not offer a walk-in service at any of our sites.

Requests for x-rays or ultrasound are emailed to the radiology secretaries 

Once received, the requests are vetted and from this the appointments team can either send out an appointment letter or if we have un-booked slots will call patients to attempt to fill the day.

Basildon Hospital:

The call centre number is 01268 396684 - opening hours are Monday - Friday (excluding bank holidays) 09:00 - 16:30

Xray - Option 1

US - Option 2

CT - Option 3

MRI - Option 4.

For X-ray requests the patient can call into the department, but for all other modality's the bookings team will contact the patient. 

 Southend Hospital:

The call centre number is 01702 385277 - opening hours are Monday - Friday (excluding bank holidays) 08:30 - 17:00

Xray - Option 1

US - Option 2

CT - Option 3

MRI - Option 4.

For X-ray requests the patient can call into the department, but for all other modality's the bookings team will contact the patient. 

Test Results

Did you know that you can access blood and x-ray test results by registering for SystmOnline?  Please go to the menu on the right and click 'Online Services' for more information.  Please note that you will need to request access to your detailed coded record to access results.

Please telephone 01245 473251 for test results after 3.00pm.  Unfortunately, we will not be able to deal with any queries regarding test result before this time.

Any specimens to be tested by the hospital must be brought to the surgery before 10.30am to ensure that they are in time for hospital collection.

Note that the practice has a strict policy regarding confidentiality and data protection and we will only release test results to the person to whom they relate unless that person has given prior permission for the release of this data or they are not capable of understanding the results.

When you take your test you will be told how long it will be before the results are returned to the practice.

It is your responsibility to check your results and to make an appointment to discuss them with your doctor if you are advised to do so.

FERTILITY TREATMENT TESTS

Please note that if you are referred to a hospital or clinic, on the NHS or privately, for fertility treatment, the surgery cannot carry out any subsequent tests that you may require, for example blood tests, which relate to your fertility treatment. Any tests that are required must be provided by the fertility clinic.

Where do I collect my test form?

These can be collected from reception. We remain hopeful that in the future electronic requests accessible at all phlebotomy sites across Mid and South Essex will be introduced to remove the need for you to attend the surgery to collect these, but we remain reliant upon paper forms for now.

Blood Tests

A blood test is when a sample of blood is taken for testing in a laboratory. Blood tests have a wide range of uses and are one of the most common types of medical test. For example, a blood test can be used to:

• assess your general state of health
• confirm the presence of a bacterial or viral infection
• see how well certain organs, such as the liver and kidneys, are functioning

A blood test usually involves the phlebotomist taking a blood sample from a blood vessel in your arm, and the usual place for a sample is the inside of the elbow or wrist, where the veins are relatively close to the surface. Blood samples from children are most commonly taken from the back of the hand. The child's hand will be anaesthetised (numbed) with a special cream before the sample is taken.

You can find out more about blood tests, their purpose and the way they are performed on the NHS website www.nhs.uk 

We have bookable blood test appointments at the surgery.  For details of other locations that offer phlebotomy services please CLICK HERE

X-Ray

An X-ray is a widely used diagnostic test to examine the inside of the body. X-rays are a very effective way of detecting problems with bones, such as fractures. They can also often identify problems with soft tissue, such as pneumonia or breast cancer.

If you have a X-ray, you will be asked to lie on a table or stand against a surface so that the part of your body being X-rayed is between the X-ray tube and the photographic plate.

An X-ray is usually carried out by a radiographer, a healthcare professional who specialises in using imaging technology, such as X-rays and ultrasound scanners.

You can find out more about x-ray tests, how they are performed, their function and the risks by visiting the NHS website at www.nhs.uk 

We provide blood test clinics each day at the Surgery.  Appointments are available in the morning only and patients MUST have a form or have been advised by a GP to book an appointment.

Alternative Blood Test Clinics 

Blood tests are available at the following locations. Please note that Glucose Tolerance Tests (GTT) are only available at Broomfield.

Broomfield Hospital 

Christchurch Centre,  164 New London Road

St Peters Maldon

St Michaels, Rayne Road, Braintree

All appointments are pre-bookable by using online booking via the link below or calling the booking number: 01245 516963 

https://www.swiftqueue.co.uk/midessex.php

Our nurse team appointments have been lengthened due to COVID as there is increased cleaning between each patient and PPE (personal protective equipment) changes.

This has resulted in a reduction in the number of appointments we are able to offer to patients.

Due to COVID it has been necessary to remove the blood pressure monitor from the waiting room.

We do not want patients to attend the Surgery unless it is essential as this puts you, our other patients and our staff at increased risk.

We would therefore like to encourage our patients to take their blood pressure reading at home rather than booking an appointment with a member of our nursing team.  

The Surgery recommend using monitors with an upper arm cuff as available from suppliers such as Amazon and Argos for around £24.  The link for BHS (British Hypertension Society) suitable blood pressure monitors is https://blood-pressure-monitoring.org/monitors-bhs-approved/..

Please log your BP readings using the BP Monitoring Record and send via email to baddow.surgery@nhs.net

Where do I drop off a sample?

These should be brought to reception where there is a receptacle in which to leave your sample.  Please ensure only one person is in the reception area to maintain social distancing.