Written Request to Expedite Hospital Appointment or Surgery
Last Updated: Sunday, 19 January 2025The Practice receives many enquiries requesting that we write a letter to chase up or expedite a hospital appointment/operation.
We are aware that this sometimes occurs because patients are told by a specialist’s secretary to get a letter from their GP so that their appointment can be brought forward-this advice is inappropriate.
Due to NHS contract changes from April 2017, hospitals are now obliged to respond to any queries you might have about your care, in very much the same way that we as a GP surgery respond to patients with queries about the care provided by ourselves. Accordingly, hospital matters should not fall to your GP to resolve. We do not ultimately have control over a hospital appointment schedule and any information you pass on to us would simply be passed over to your specialist.
If you are experiencing worsening of your symptoms, we advise you to contact your specialist’s secretary directly so they can assess your condition and make the necessary arrangements to expedite your appointment if appropriate. If you have difficulty in accessing your specialist, we advise you to contact the hospital Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) for assistance.
If the hospital is insistent that they require a letter, please complete the letter below below, completing your details along with your reason for contacting them. This letter will need to be completed in full before it can be actioned.
Once you have completed this letter pass this back to reception who will forward this on to the hospital.
Please note, by completing this letter this does not guarantee any change to your appointment.