Referral
What it really means
When your GP sends you to a hospital specialist for further tests or treatment. On the NHS you cannot usually see a specialist without one. After a referral, the hospital writes to you with an appointment.
Context, tips & common mistakes
NHS specialists are reached through GP referral — you cannot book a cardiologist directly; the GP assesses, refers, and the hospital contacts you (or you book via the e-Referral service, often with a choice of hospitals whose waiting times you can compare — choose with your feet). Exceptions that skip the GP: A&E, sexual health clinics, opticians, dentists, NHS talking therapies self-referral, and midwifery once pregnant.
After referral, own the follow-up: if no letter or call arrives within a few weeks, chase the hospital's appointments line with your NHS number, and the GP surgery can re-send a lost referral. If symptoms worsen while you wait, go back to the GP — referrals can be expedited or upgraded to urgent. A private shortcut some use: the same GP referral letter usually works for a one-off private consultation to reach a diagnosis faster, after which NHS treatment can continue.