Health professionals
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust includes Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and West Middlesex University Hospital. Both hospitals provide a range of clinical services, including full maternity and emergency care.
Digital referrals via the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS)
e-RS referral and advice guidance: See our general e-RS guidance for routine and urgent referrals or advice requests. For cardiology (heart failure), gastroenterology, nephrology, neurology, pain management and rheumatology, please follow our Advice and Refer (A&R) guidance, which requires selecting Advice rather than Referral in e-RS.
Most new GP referrals to consultant-led outpatient services must be submitted through the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). Where alternative referral arrangements apply, please follow the guidance on the relevant hospital referral page.
Benefits of e-RS
The e-RS system enhances the referral process for both patients and the NHS, offering several key advantages:
- Patients: Provides greater choice and better control over their care
- Safety: Ensures visibility of referrals and maintains a clear audit trail
- Operational: Simplifies referral tracking and reduces the volume of appointment-related enquiries
- Financial: Lowers the rate of DNAs and cancellations, and eliminates the need for processing paper referrals
Referral rejection process
Referrals that are required to be submitted through e-RS will be returned to the referring GP if received by post or email. The referral must then be resubmitted through e-RS.
Appointment Slot Issues (ASIs) and Defer to Provider
If no capacity is available on e-RS, GPs should use the Defer to Provider option. This allows us to manage the referral within e-RS, ensuring a complete data trail is maintained for transparency. Please be assured that all patients will be contacted to arrange their appointment within the appropriate timeframe.
Referring patients for services not on e-RS
Details are on the individual hospital referral pages: