An external referrer is someone outside of your ICB organisation who is given access to login to the Case Management System, to create an initial referral form for a patient. An external referrer could be a GP, Local Authority or healthcare professional.
The process
An example of the external referrer process being used would be a GP identifies a patient requiring a CHC assessment based on complex care needs, the GP logs into Access Adam as an external referrer to create and submit an initial referral form.
Within this form, the GP would complete the digital CHC checklist with patient details, care needs and supporting evidence. Once the GP has provided all the mandatory information and documentation, the form is submitted and picked up by the ICB, who will match the patient via SPINE and complete initial processing of the referral.
Once the referral is submitted, the external referrer can see the referral in their dashboard. Once a decision has been made (positive or negative), the decision will be visible in their dashboard. They will also receive an email notification to let them know when a decision or update has been made.
Benefits of adding external referrers
By enabling external referrers to complete a referral form directly within the system, you are cutting out duplication of this process and saving time.
Ensuring that the 28-day clock starts as soon as the referral form is submitted.
Improving the quality, consistency and accuracy of information provided.
Reducing back and forth trying to gather full information for the referral to be processed, providing quicker results for the patient.
Add a new external referrer user
To create a new external referrer user, follow these simple steps:
Click on the CMS tab and scroll down to the Referrers section.
Click New and provide the mandatory details.
Click Save.
Scroll down again to the Referrers section and click the Search button.
Search for the user you just created and click the magifying glass next to their name.
Click on their name in the blue heading, scroll down to Role Name and select Referrers.
Within the Job Title field enter the users job title.
Click Save at the top.
Scroll down to the Additional Roles section and click Add.
Add the role CMS Checklist Referrer.
You will then need to add an external referrer team using the Company's teams users guide.
Give external referrers access to complete a referral form
Once you have decided which referral type you’d like the external referrers to have access too, ask your super user to make this visible to external referrers by following these steps:
Click on Admin and then My Company.
Within the Admin section click CMS Configuration.
Scroll down to the Referrals section and click Referral Types.
Click on the magnifying glass next to the relevant patient referral type.
Scroll down to the bottom of the page and tick Visible For External Referrer.
Click Save at the top of the page.
External referrer process
When logged in as an external referrer, you will be taken straight to the progress tracking dashboard. Here you will be able to view all your current Referral Forms and their progress, filtered by status. You can click on the magnifying glass next to each Referral to view the page itself and carry out actions.
The All tab displays all your submitted referrals with status information.
📌Note: External referrers receive automated email notifications at key milestones throughout the assessment process - no configuration required.
See the External referrer progress tracking dashboard article for more information.
Referral statuses
See the following explanations on each of the referral statuses:
Status | Explanation |
Pending Completion | These are referral forms which have been partially completed and are awaiting further information to be submitted. You will need to click on the Actions button within them to complete and submit them. Alternatively, you can cancel these if no longer required.
|
Pending Information | Sometimes a referral form may be sent back to you if further information is requested. For those in pending Information, you will need to click on the Actions button within the form to Edit patient Info and Re-submit. This will allow you to provide the requested information and submit the amended referral form for review.
|
Pending QA (Quality Assurance) | These referral forms are waiting for QA to decide whether they are eligible for further assessment. This will be completed by someone within Bury CCG. |
Eligible for Further Assessment | These are shown under Positive Referral forms. These forms have been quality assured, and the referral is now passing through the assessment and decision process. The status will change again once a final decision has been made as to the eligibility for CHC Funding. |
Not Eligible for Further Assessment | These are shown under Negative Referral forms. These referral forms have been quality assured and are not deemed eligible for full assessment. |
Cancelled | These referral forms have been cancelled. Once the fast-track form has been cancelled you cannot re-instate this but will need to create a new fast track form/referral. |
Create a referral form
To create a new Referral electronically, follow these simple steps:
⚠️Important: If you need any further information regarding a referral type, please contact your Local Authority representative. This guide will only show general information, and the process might be slightly different on your end.
Click on the New Referral Form icon.
Select the relevant Activity and Referral Type from the drop-down list and then click Next.
If applicable, the system will show the Patient Lookup tool. Fill in the patient information so that the system locates a patient. If a patient is not found, you may proceed by clicking Create New Referral Manually.
Then click Next, to begin creating the referral form and fill out all mandatory fields.
Choose either options of online signature or upload document with the assessor’s signature.
Upload any required forms and documents along with any additional supporting documents.
You'll be presented an overview of the referral form you have just created. Choose one of the options to confirm sign-off of this referral form.
Click Submit.
You'll be able to view the progress of the referral form as the status changes, using the different tabs on your system page.
Click into a tab and then into a referral form, and you'll see a summary of what you have entered, along with the current progress.
The documents and forms you have uploaded can be found on the referral under the Documents section. The system will also generate an automatic document, which can be found under the Referral Form Document History section. Click the document name to open the file.