Please cascade this information to all patient-facing administrative teams.
From 11 September 2026, a national change introduced by NHS England means that patients referred through the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS) receive automated updates about the status of their referral via the NHS App, email or text message.
The change is designed to improve communication and reduce uncertainty for patients following referral. However, it may also lead to an increase in calls from patients seeking updates about referrals, appointments and waiting times.
What is changing?
Patients referred through e-RS will receive automated notifications confirming the status of their referral.
As part of the national messaging, patients with routine referrals will be advised to contact the provider if they have not received an update within 20 working days.
While the intention is positive, many services are currently unable to offer appointments or provide further updates within this timeframe due to existing waiting times. As a result, colleagues may see an increase in enquiries from patients who have received one of these notifications.
It is important to note that these notifications are generated automatically through the national e-RS system and cannot be amended, delayed or switched off locally.
What colleagues need to know
When responding to patient enquiries, please remember:
- Patients may contact services simply because they have received a notification advising them to do so after 20 working days.
- The notification confirms a referral has been received or accepted and is being processed.
- Receiving a notification does not mean an appointment has been booked.
- Existing local booking and communication processes remain unchanged.
Suggested wording for patient enquiries
If patients contact your service after receiving one of these notifications, the following wording may be helpful:
"The message you received is an automated notification confirming that your referral has been received. Your referral remains on our waiting list and will be booked according to clinical priority and available capacity. The notification advises patients to make contact if they have not received an update within 20 working days; however, this is a standard national message and waiting times for many services are currently longer than this. We will contact you as soon as an appointment or further information is available."
Where possible, colleagues should also provide patients with current waiting time information or any service-specific guidance available.
Signposting patients
Patients looking for more information about outpatient appointments and waiting times can be directed to the Outpatient guide on the CHFT website, where they will find the latest information about what to expect following a referral.
Thank you for your support in helping to manage patient expectations and ensure consistent messaging across our services.
We will continue to monitor any impact on call volumes and patient enquiries following the introduction of these national notifications and will share feedback with NHS England as appropriate.
For further information, please read the attached briefing note.