The South West has become the first NHS England region to fully digitise GP to hospital outpatient referrals, with all 17 NHS Trusts in the region completing paper switch off today.

The NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS), mandatory for all NHS organisations from October 2018, will reduce patient waiting times, increase patient choice and enable GPs to quickly get a consultant’s opinion on a patient’s condition.

The new system could reduce waiting times, and stop referrals falling through the net.

Nationally, 127 NHS Trusts have made the switch, with over 70,000 referrals being made digitally every day, and even more trusts are due to switch in the coming months.

By making referrals and appointments electronically, doctors and patients will know in advance which services are available and have information about likely waiting times. This helps patients to book an appointment at a date, place and time that suits them.

Electronic bookings not only relieve the burden on GPs by reducing their paperwork, but it is also cost effective and saves time. The technology also enables GPs to track and monitor the progress of their patients’ referrals.

Cathy Francis, Patients and Information Director (South)​ at NHS England said: “We are extremely proud of the Trusts and the GP Practices in the South West who have worked hard to achieve this switch over two months before the national deadline.

“Together with our programme teams at NHS England and NHS Digital, they have embraced a new digital system which will make the process of booking a hospital appointment simpler and easier to do for patients and clinicians.

“As we develop the NHS long term plan this is exactly the type of digital transformation that we must take advantage of.”

Christina Malcolmson, Regional Head of the NHS Digital Implementation and Business Change Team (South) said: “It is very pleasing that we are the first region to completely achieve paper referral switch off. It has been a large and often complex process – one that highlights the crucial importance of NHS organisations working together in genuine partnership. Delivering this outcome ahead of the 1 October deadline is a great achievement for all involved and most importantly a real step forward for both the experience and choice patients will have.”

The move towards the paper referral switch off comes following the introduction of the 2017/19 NHS Standard Contract and the new 2018/19 GP Contract, which requires the full use of the NHS e-Referral Service by the autumn deadline. From 1 October 2018, providers will no longer be paid for activity which results from referrals made other than through the NHS e-Referral Service.

Find out more about the NHS e-Referral Service