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Free referral letter generator
Write a referral letter a specialist can triage in one read. Paste your notes and get a structured letter that ends with the question you want answered.
How to use it
- 01
Say why you are referring
Name the specialty, how urgent it is and your working diagnosis. One line is enough.
- 02
Paste history and results
Duration, key findings, relevant blood tests or imaging, what has been tried, current medication and allergies.
- 03
Finish with your question
What do you want from the specialist: a diagnosis, a procedure, treatment advice or shared care? The draft puts it last, where it stands out.
How to structure a referral letter
A good referral letter lets the receiving clinician decide how urgently to see the patient and what to prepare. It summarises only what is relevant to the referral, shows what has already been done, and asks a specific question. Vague letters are a common reason referrals are returned or delayed.
- Reason for referral
- The working diagnosis or concern, the specialty, and the urgency you are requesting.
- History
- Onset and course of the problem, relevant symptoms and negatives, past history and family history that matter for this question.
- Examination and investigations
- Your key examination findings and results, with dates or pending tests, so the specialist does not repeat them.
- Current medication and allergies
- Everything the patient takes, including what has been tried for this problem and how it worked, plus allergies with the reaction.
- Question for the specialist
- The specific thing you want answered or done, for example “please assess and consider starting a disease-modifying drug”.
Referral letter example: suspected early rheumatoid arthritis
Reason for referral
Urgent referral to rheumatology for suspected early inflammatory arthritis, possibly rheumatoid arthritis.
History
46-year-old woman with 8 weeks of bilateral hand pain and swelling affecting the MCP and PIP joints. Morning stiffness of about 90 minutes, improving with use. Associated fatigue. No rash, no psoriasis and no symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease. Mother has rheumatoid arthritis.
Examination and investigations
Synovitis of the right 2nd and 3rd MCP joints and the left 2nd MCP joint. MCP squeeze test positive bilaterally. CRP 24, ESR 38, rheumatoid factor positive, anti-CCP pending. Full blood count normal, Hb 121.
Current medication and allergies
Naproxen 500 mg twice daily for 3 weeks with omeprazole 20 mg once daily, giving partial relief. Allergy: penicillin (rash).
Question for the specialist
Please assess for early rheumatoid arthritis and consider starting a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug.
Need the diagnosis code too? Search ICD-10-CM codes
Tips for referral letters that get triaged quickly
- Put the urgency and the working diagnosis in the first sentence; that is what triage reads first.
- Include results with values, and list tests that are still pending so they are not duplicated.
- Say what has already been tried, at what dose and for how long, and how well it worked.
- Ask one clear question. “Please assess” is weaker than “please confirm the diagnosis and advise on treatment”.
- Check whether the receiving service has its own referral criteria or form, and make sure your letter answers them.
Frequently asked questions
Does the letter include a greeting and signature?
No. The tool writes the clinical body of the letter. Add the recipient, your details and signature in your own letterhead or record system.
Can I use it for any specialty?
Yes. The structure works for any outpatient referral. Paste the findings that matter for that specialty, and the draft keeps them in the right section.
What if I don’t know the urgency yet?
Leave it out and the draft will not invent one. You can add the urgency after reviewing the letter.
Is it free?
Yes. You can write up to 10 notes a day without an account.
Is it safe to paste patient information?
Paste clinical details only, never names, ID numbers or contact details. The text is sent to our AI provider to write the note and is not saved by Docdemic.