Getting referred to the Neurology department

Your child’s hospital or community paediatrician should make the referral. 

We are unable to accept referrals from GPs.
If you feel a referral is appropriate and has not been suggested, please discuss this with your child’s paediatrician.

Please note the following information is for healthcare professionals looking to refer, or for advice from our service.

To make a referral to the Neurology department, please send your referral letter by email to:

gos-tr.neuro-referrals@nhs.net

Alternatively please write to:

Department of Paediatric Neurology
Level 10, Main Nurses Building
Great Ormond Street Hospital
Great Ormond Street
London
WC1N 3JH

Please note: referrals by letter may take longer to process than emails.

In certain cases, urgent cases are seen on the Rapid Assessment Neurology Unit (RANU) as a day case. This service is specifically for children undergoing programmed investigations.

To process a referral to the Paediatric Neurology Department at GOSH, we require the following details as a minimum:

• Patient full name and NHS number (if applicable)
• Current GP and lead consultant
• 18-week pathway information including date referral decision was made
• Whether an interpreter is required for the child or family
• If relevant, please include details about social services involvement and parental responsibility

• The reason for the referral - for example diagnostic, prognostic, second opinion or other
• Details of previous neurology opinions, including previous clinic letters
• Referral letter with current information and the referral questions

Referrals cannot be processed unless imaging (by IEP) and other relevant investigations have been received. Therefore, please include:

• MRI or CT
• EEG or EMG
• blood tests and any other assessments

If images are not available via IEP, please arrange for images to be transferred by either CD or secure transfer.

Please complete the clinical query (CQ) form above and email to gos-tr.neuro-referrals@nhs.net. Please write 'CQ form for immediate review' in the subject line. If you have a time window that you require a reply by, please include this in your email.

The form will then be uploaded to our system for an acute medical review. Please do not phone us unless you require immediate advice.

The on-call team will then triage based on the content of the written referral. They will aim to call back on the same day, however due to service pressures, they may call back the following day if they deem it appropriate. They will always call back by the next working day.

If your query requires immediate attention, please consider a direct Paediatric Consultant to Neurology Consultant call via GOSH switchboard 020 7405 9200.

Please note we will only review imaging in patients being considered for transfer to GOSH. For a radiology opinion, scans should be sent to the Radiology department via IEP accompanied by a formal referral letter.

For non-urgent referrals please email a referral letter with the relevant clinical details and clinical question to gos-tr.neuro-referrals@nhs.net. Please follow outpatient instructions above.

For patients known to GOSH please complete the linked CQ form. Please include the name of the lead consultant, if known.

Email the form to gos-tr.neuro-referrals@nhs.net.

Please include in the subject line 'CQ form for immediate review'.

Urgent queries are dealt with by the on-call team, not by a patient's named consultant.

For issues regarding immediate response please call the switchboard on 0207 405 9200 and request the neurology on-call team. These can be discussed at consultant-to-consultant level.

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