What’s a referral?

A referral is when the GP or Advanced Clinical Practitioner (ACP) recommends that you go to see another clinician who is a specialist or expert in that particular area of medicine.

There may also be times where a physical examination or diagnostics by a clinician in person is required. We can refer you to our partner network of private trusted clinicians if you have difficulty in accessing your normal registered GP.

Need Help with Your Open Referral?

If you’ve been issued an open referral and are unsure about your next steps, we’re here to help. We've partnered with market-leading providers to offer a range of services, including blood tests, scans, medical letters, and mental health support.

Find out more

How do referrals work?

• Book an appointment as usual
• After a thorough consultation, if appropriate, your Doctor Care Anywhere clinician will then be able to recommend the right specialist for you and advise you on the best route to get to see them
• They will then issue you with an open referral and email you to let you know it is ready. Your referral will be securely stored on your patient record where you can download it as a PDF to share with your specialist, health insurer or whoever you need to

You can then use your Doctor Care Anywhere consultation notes and referral letter to:

• Access a private healthcare specialist through your private medical insurance
• Book an appointment with a private specialist yourself
• Speak to your local NHS GP about options for referral to your local specialist services

What’s a fit note?

A fit note is the same thing as a sick note, a doctor’s note, a medical statement or a medical certificate. If you are off work for more than seven days or are too unwell to go to work, your employer will usually ask for a fit note as medical proof that you’ve been ill.

How does it work?

Our GPs and ACP's can write you a fit note for up to two weeks if your illness prevents you from working. Our standard fit notes are 2 weeks in length. Further fit notes for an ongoing health complaint can be issued at the clinician’s discretion. A maximum of 2-3 consecutive sick notes, totalling 6 weeks may be issued.

After that, you’ll need to go and see your registered NHS or private GP for an extension or if you need long term certification.

• Book an appointment as usual
• After a thorough consultation, if appropriate, your Doctor Care Anywhere clinician will then be able to write you a fit note
• They will then email you to let you know it is ready. Your fit note will be securely stored on your patient record where you can download it as a PDF to share with your employer or whoever you need to