Hospital Referrals
Last Updated: Wednesday, 04 February 2026We understand that waiting for hospital appointments or procedures can be a worrying time. At The Village Surgery Formby, we want to ensure you have clear guidance on managing your care while on a hospital waiting list.
Our Role and Expedite Requests
- GP’s Limited Influence: It is important to understand that your GP has no control over hospital waiting lists, appointment scheduling, or your position on these lists.
- Expedite Letters: While we appreciate your concern, expedite letters from your GP are generally ineffective in changing your waiting list position. Each request for such a letter requires valuable GP time and resources, which could otherwise be used for patient appointments.
What You Can Do
- Check Waiting Times: For the most up-to-date information on waiting times for your Hospitals, please visit the My Planned Care website: My Planned Care
- Hospital Communication: The hospital will typically contact you every 12 weeks while you are on their waiting list to confirm if you still require an appointment. If you are awaiting an inpatient surgical appointment and your condition has significantly worsened, the hospital may arrange a further clinical review by a specialist.
- Worsening Symptoms (Related to Referral): If your symptoms, specifically related to the condition for which you were referred, become significantly worse, please contact the specialist’s secretary directly. Their contact details will be on any correspondence you have received from the hospital.
- Hospital-Ordered Tests: Please be aware that any tests ordered by the hospital will be followed up directly by the hospital team, not by The Village Surgery Formby.
- New, Unrelated Symptoms: If you develop new symptoms that are unrelated to your original hospital referral, please contact The Village Surgery Formby for an appointment as you normally would.