Hospital Information & Referrals

Suffolk Primary Care

Information & Referrals

If you require a specialist referral to hospital, your Doctor will advise you.

Referral to secondary care - Information for patients:

West Suffolk Hospital

Your referral will be dictated by the GP or Nurse Practitioner who will pass onto the secretaries to type and process accordingly. Your referral is sent via an email at which point an appointment will be made on your behalf. All the necessary information regarding an appointment will be sent you. With this information there will be details on how to cancel or rearrange an appointment if the one made for you is not convenient. In some cases an appointment will not be able to be made for you by the secretary who will inform you of this and send you information on how to book an appointment yourself. Please read these letters carefully to see if you need to book an appointment or one has been done for you.

West Suffolk Appointment Service: 01284 713713

For queries regarding appointments, treatment dates, rebooking procedures of surgery dates or follow up waiting timescales once you have been seen in the hospital system it is best to contact their consultant’s secretary for advice in the first instance.

West Suffolk Hospital Switchboard: 01284 713000 – ask for the secretary of the consultant or the speciality you were under.

Ipswich Hospital

Your referral will be dictated by the GP or Nurse Practitioner who will pass to the secretaries to type and process. Your referral is sent to the hospital via an email and processed by the hospital who will send you an appointment direct. With most clinics at the hospital this can take up to 8-12 weeks to receive an appointment. If you are concerned that an appointment has not been sent to you please call the Hospital Appointment Service who will be able to help you. The number below is also helpful for changes to a FIRST outpatient appointment or to find out waiting times.

Ipswich Hospital Appointment Service: 01473 702400

Ipswich Hospital Switchboard: 01473 712233 – ask for the secretary of the consultant or the speciality you were under.

Addenbrooke's Hospital

Your referral will be dictated by the GP or Nurse Practitioner who will pass onto the secretaries to type and process accordingly. Your referral is sent via an email to the hospital who will triage your referral to the appropriate clinic. An appointment will be sent to you directly from the hospital. With most clinics at the hospital this can take up to 8-12 weeks to receive an appointment. If you are concerned that an appointment has not been sent to you please call the Hospital Appointment Service who will be able to help you.

Addenbrooke’s Hospital Appointment Service: 01223 274593

Community Endoscopy

“In health” is based at Ravenswood, Ipswich. The patient helpline 0333 202 3187

Private referral - information for patients

BMI Bury St Edmunds

Information as to where and what consultant you will be seeing will be needed by the secretary to process your referral. The referral will be posted to the hospital. An appointment will be made direct with the patient.

Any other private hospital referrals the patient will need to inform where and what consultant for the secretary to process the referral and then patient will need to collect the referral letter from the surgery.

If patients need a copy of referral letters for insurance purposes please let the secretary know who will print a copy to be collected by the patient at the surgery.

West Nuffield Hospital

Information as to where and what consultant you will be seeing will be needed by the secretary to process your referral. Once the referral letter is done it is emailed to the hospital. An appointment wilI be made direct with the patient once they have received the referral from your GP.