During a consultation, a patient may insist that they are referred to a service which they are not suitable for. This page is designed to give you some tips on how to handle a delicate situation like this. In any case, you must use your own clinical judgement and tailor your approach to each individual patient. If at any point you are unsure, speak to your Lead GP.
Acknowledge the problem
Make sure that you listen to the patients concerns and show them that you understand (e.g., ‘I can understand your concern…’).
Then, sensitively make your suggestion for an alternative means of treatment (if appropriate). It may help to suggest that if the patient is not happy after they’ve given this a go, they can come back in for a follow-up appointment and referral can be reconsidered.
If a patient is not eligible
If a patient does not meet the inclusion criteria for a referral, you should use your own clinical judgement to determine if you should go ahead with the referral.
- If you do refer, make sure that the patient understand that the NHS may reject their referral.
- If you do NOT refer, consider alternative treatments and/or services (see our Services Database).