The NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS) is a national NHS IT system that enables patient referrals, primarily from GPs to first hospital or clinic appointments, to be booked in to health care services at a location, date and time to suit the patient.

e-RS allows patients to choose their initial hospital or clinic appointment, book it in the GP surgery at the point of referral or book it themselves online or via a national telephone line. Patients can then cancel or change the appointment if required. It enables clinicians to provide the best care in the most appropriate place, transforms the referral process and improves the patient journey.

Health Education England elearning for healthcare has worked with NHS Digital to develop learning content that will give NHS and healthcare staff a better understanding of e-RS and the functionality that is available to them. It will also show the benefits of using the system for both patients and professionals and how it can be used to support a streamlined referral process.

Content will continue to be developed by NHS Digital to expand the e-RS resources available to end users.

Further information and guidance on the e-RS programme can be found on the NHS website: https://digital.nhs.uk/e-Referral-Service/

For more information about e-RS and how to access the programme please visit: https://www.e-lfh.org.uk/programmes/e-referrals/