Appointments and Waiting Times
The Referral Management Centre does not have access to the providers waiting lists, waiting times or appointment systems. In order to find these details out, please track the referral and contact the provider.
With the hospitals it is important that you or your patients speak to the appointments department NOT the department for the discipline you have referred to (i.e.Restorative, Oral Surgery, Ortho etc).
Where orthodontic referrals are listed as being on waiting lists, the MINIMUM expected waiting times for these referrals is 2-3 years from date of referral. If a referral is a priority this will have been identified by the boxes ticked by the referring GDP and the referral would not be on the waiting list, unless directed there by an orthodontic provider.
The referral centre cannot change the priority of a referral and priority is based on dental clinical need ONLY.
Many providers (including hospitals), are part of groups of providers. This means that although the referral may, when tracked, say it has been sent to a provider in one location, the patient is offered an appointment at an alternate one. This is normally based on availability of services or an appropriately qualified practitioner. If the patient only wishes to be seen at the location identified on the tracking please contact the provider to request this. We have no control over these situations, as they are dealt with by the provider alone.
Please do not encourage your patients to contact the referral centre to track referrals, we can see the same information as you can from your online system or the website when you or your patient track a referral. We cannot provide appointment information and do not contact patients.