When a GP needs to refer a patient, they are busy and short of time. They want to find the right specialist, check the details and send the referral in a couple of minutes. A good referral page makes that possible.
Start with what you treat
List the conditions and procedures you see, in the language GPs use, with a short note on what is and isn’t within your scope. It helps GPs match patients to the right practice and saves unnecessary referrals.
Be clear about urgency and wait times
GPs want to know how quickly patients will be seen. Explain:
- How urgent referrals are handled.
- Typical wait times for routine appointments, updated regularly.
- How to flag a case that needs to be seen sooner.
Make the referral itself easy
- A simple referral form, or details of how to send one, with the fields you actually need.
- Instructions for the common clinical software GPs use.
- A direct phone number or email for questions.
- A line on what to include: history, medications, scans and reports.
Explain what happens next
GPs value knowing the pathway. Say how the patient will be contacted, what happens at the first appointment and how and when you will report back.
Show who you are
Accurate practitioner profiles, with qualifications, areas of focus, hospitals and locations. Use titles correctly, and avoid claims that you are better than other specialists.
Practical information
- Locations, parking and accessibility.
- Hospital affiliations and where procedures take place.
- Billing arrangements and likely out-of-pocket costs, where you can.
Keep it current
An out-of-date referral page is worse than none. Review wait times, forms and contact details at least every quarter.
Staying compliant
Referrer-focused content is treated differently from advertising to the public, but your website is still public. Don’t offer inducements to referrers, and keep wording measured and accurate.
Questions we hear
- Do we need separate pages for each condition? For the conditions you most want to receive, yes. They help GPs and patients.
- Should we publish wait times? If you can keep them accurate. They help GPs choose, and reduce phone calls.
- How do we tell GPs about the page? A short email or letter to local GPs, a link in your reports back and a mention on your Google profile.
A sample structure
A referral page that works for busy GPs follows a simple order:
- What we see
- Urgent referrals
- How to refer
- What to include
- What happens next
- Our team
- Locations and parking
Common mistakes
- A referral form that exists only as a PDF.
- No phone number for urgent questions.
- No indication of wait times.
- A page written only for patients, with nothing practical for referrers.
- Outdated forms and contacts.
- A referral page that is hard to find in the menu.
What to measure
- Referral form submissions each month.
- Referrals by source, so you can see which practices send patients.
- Calls from referrer numbers.
- How quickly referrals are triaged and answered.
Quick wins
- Add a direct phone number and typical wait time to the top of the page.
- Link to the referral page from your Google profile and email signature.
- Send a short note to local GPs when something changes, such as a new practitioner or service.
- Check the form works on the clinical software your referrers use.
Our referral marketing work includes pages like this, and our specialist marketing page explains how we work with practices.