Delivering quality care for your patients in a fraction of the time
How we support you as a GPMedefer is a multi-award-winning outpatients service that helps patients receive medical treatment faster. We work with many types of doctors and specialists. When you refer to Medefer, we take care of everything. We arrange tests, talk to patients, and keep you informed about what is happening.
We work with both national and local providers, including primary care and other independent sector providers. That means we can refer patients to the nearest location for diagnosis and treatment. If it is more than an hour away from your patient, we offer to transfer their care to the local hospital.
Learn more about our diagnostic service and location directory on the NHS e-Referral service by scrolling down.
Together, we can streamline healthcare, allowing you to focus on what matters—your patients. Becoming a diagnostic partner. We encourage GPs to work with us, delivering in-house testing, including blood tests and diagnostics, with full reimbursement for services.
Patients get a specialist review in about 48 hours. This is much faster than waiting weeks for an appointment.
Many patients don't need to travel far. Some just need a review, advice, or a simple blood test that can be done close by.
Patients can pick from many test locations. If they prefer, they can also choose to go to their local NHS hospital.
We take over patient care soon after the referral, so you don't have to do as much.
Your patients usually get a consultant review within 48 hours, which means less waiting and more support.
Medefer handles the tests and results, so you don't have to worry about these details.
We make sure your patients get the follow-up care they need, keeping you in the loop every step of the way.
Medefer aims to support, not replace, local NHS services. We offer a wide range of services to help your practice run smoothly. Our focus is on turning your practice into a more efficient, valuable service for your community.
Medefer has a proven track record through our outpatient services, reducing the need for patients to attend a traditional outpatient setting. Up to 90% of patients can be cared for without the need for outpatient attendances.
1. This reduces demand on hospitals, freeing local specialist services to focus on the patients only they can deal with.
2. This supports primary care by improving access to specialist care and reducing the burden of waiting on primary care services when patients seek help and care while waiting.
3. Patients are at the centre of everything we do. Using Medefer can significantly reduce the time patients wait, leading to early diagnosis and potentially better outcomes.
Referring a patient to Medefer is simple. You use the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS) just like you do for other referrals.
After you refer a patient to us, we will send them a welcome letter. This letter explains who we are, how we help, and how to reach us. A specialist doctor will look at the patient's case typically within 48 hours. If the doctor thinks more information is needed or if tests are required, Medefer will arrange these. We will keep you informed of the doctor's decision. If tests are not needed, the doctor will let you know what the next steps are for your patient's care.
Medefer works with many partners to provide tests and treatments. If a patient needs a test, we will tell them how to set it up. Tests can often be done close to home, or if they want, they can choose a different location. If the nearest test location is more than an hour away, we will offer to transfer their care to a local hospital if preferable.
Sometimes, a patient might need to see a specialist in person. If that happens, we help them book an appointment and arrange the referral for them via eRS, to reduce delays and unnecessary burden on primary care service. . In some cases, we can even book an appointment for them at a local hospital. We make sure that the patient knows what to do and where to go.
Medefer doctors are experienced specialist consultants. They work in many different medical & surgical specialties. Our consultants can perform the initial review remotely, which means they can help patients anywhere in the UK. However, we can also organise in-person appointments when necessary. All our doctors follow strict rules to make sure patients get the best care.
Medefer creates more capacity and offers consultants the opportunity to provide additional support for the NHS in an innovative way. By working flexibly around their existing jobs, each consultant can contribute more capacity. Importantly, due to the remote model of consultant care, consultants anywhere in the country can support any patients accessing the service, irrespective of where they live.
Medefer supports many specialties. We keep adding more based on what's needed in your area. You can find a list of the specialties we cover on our website or on the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS).
We aim to help you by taking on more of the work. We manage specialist reviews, organise tests, and take responsibility for test results. This makes the whole process smoother and easier for you and your patients.
We provide management plans and advice that are practised for primary care. It's the best way to reduce your workload.
After we receive a referral, we send a confirmation to your practice. We also send the patient a welcome pack. We keep you updated with all the important information about your patient's journey under Medefer's care.
We attempt to contact patients at each stage of their care to ensure they understand what is happening, what they need to do, and that they are clear about their care. Patients can always speak to one of our patient care team members and, if required, one of our clinicians at any point if they are uncertain about anything or there has been a change in their symptoms, prompting further assessment.
Medefer manages the patient's referral from start to finish. If care needs to be closer to home, we can refer them to their local NHS hospital. We make sure to organise all the details and keep in touch with both the patient and the GP.
Medefer orders tests and reviews the results. We take care of everything until the patient is discharged from our service. We also handle prescriptions using the Electronic Prescribing System. Patients can choose to get their first prescriptions by post to make things easier for them.
Patients have the right to choose their care. This includes picking any qualified provider, like Medefer, for certain services. According to the NHS Constitution, patients can choose their provider at the point of referral and for any follow-up treatment.
Medefer is available for adults aged 18 and over or those who are Gillick competent. We handle routine and urgent outpatient referrals but do not cover patients with suspected cancer. Check the directory of services on e-RS for specific criteria.
Medefer works with hospital trusts to help reduce patient backlogs. We manage many cases quickly, without the need for traditional outpatient visits. Our approach has helped clear up to 70% of specialty backlogs, allowing hospitals to focus on patients who need in-person care.
As a CQC-regulated provider, Medefer takes full responsibility for the patient's care while they are with us. We work closely with the integrated care systems that have contracts with us to make sure everything runs smoothly.
If patients have questions, they should contact Medefer directly. They can call us at 08000 112 113. We tell patients that we are their first point of contact for any questions about their care.
We value feedback from both patients and providers. If you have feedback or concerns, please email us at admin.medefer@nhs.net or call 0800 112 113. We check this inbox daily from Monday to Friday and will respond as soon as possible.