Referral forms and letters are processed by the medical secretaries by adding to the Electronic Referral System (E-RS).

If you wish to be seen at a different hospital to St Richard’s or wish to discuss alternative hospitals with shorter wait times, we can advise on this.

Once the referral has been sent through the electronic referral system (E-RS), it will be dealt with by the appointments team. Their numbers are below:

• Secondary care referrals (hospital): 01273 446067 covering St Richard’s. Worthing and Southlands Hospitals)
• Secondary care ENT appointments: 02392 681700

Texts are not sent out to patients who have been referred for radiological investigations. Referrals are usually sent via the online system to either St Richard’s or Bognor War Memorial Hospital and they will contact you directly. Bognor Hospital are only able to do certain ultrasound investigations, so you may find you will be referred to St Richard’s.

• St Richard’s Hospital Radiology: 01243 831781
• Bognor Regis War Memorial Radiology: 01243 623673

There are community options for some specialities including ENT and dermatology

These are also processed via E-RS (Electronic Referral System).

• You can also discuss these by phoning the Grove House secretaries: 01243 265222 option 4

These referrals also go via the E-RS. Once they have been through the E-RS system, they are sent to Bognor Regis War Memorial Hospital Musculoskeletal Triage service. Your referral will be viewed by a clinician and it will be decided which service you will be seen by.

Contact them to discuss this further, to find out which service you will be seen by and what the wait times are.

• Bognor Regis War Memorial Hospital Musculoskeletal Triage service:  01243 623548

Referrals for suspected cancer are sent within 24 hours of the referral being agreed between you and your GP. These are sent to a designated department and you should be seen within a few weeks. We send out letters and texts to patients to inform them that their referral has been sent along with the telephone number to chase up an appointment.

• Chase a cancer referral: 01903 205111 extension 84997.

Adult mental health

Routine adult mental health referrals are sent to a central triage service. They are not sent via the E-RS. They will contact you directly.

• If you are concerned about your appointment please call: 0300 304 0400

Children’s mental health

• Contact the medical secretaries at Grove House Surgery: 01243 265222 option 4

There are many other referrals that do not go via the Referral Support Service, these are usually sent directly to the department. E.g. Dietitians, falls service, orthotics, podiatry, weight management etc.

• It is best to wait to hear directly from the service that you have been referred to

We are able to refer you for private consultations.

You will need to make your own investigations as to where you would like to be seen. The secretaries can only offer limited advice on local private hospitals.

Please use Google or telephone the private hospital concerned to find out about wait times, costs and availability of consultants.

Once you have decided who you want to see, please let the secretaries know so that the referral can be forwarded to the relevant hospital.