Why have I been referred urgently to the hospital?

Your doctor or dentist has arranged for you to be seen by the hospital within two weeks.

This is an URGENT referral because it is possible that you could have cancer.

We need to refer you urgently because there is evidence that early diagnosis of cancer can increase the chances of successful treatment.

Does this mean I have cancer?

No it doesn’t. Most patients do not turn out to have cancer; they have another diagnosis.

So why has my doctor referred me?

Most illnesses are successfully treated by doctors. However, on some occasions they need to arrange for you to see a specialist hospital doctor. This could be for a number of reasons, such as:

• Your symptoms need further investigation and it is important that this is done quickly.
• The treatment you have already received has not worked.
• Your tests have shown some abnormal results.
• To be sure you do not have serious disease.

Will I need any tests?

You may need specialised tests before, during or following your first appointment at the hospital. These test results could help the specialist to understand the cause of your symptoms.

What do I need to do now?

TELL YOUR DOCTOR NOW if you will be away on holiday or are unable to attend the hospital appointment within the next two weeks.

• Make sure that your doctor has your correct address, telephone number, and mobile number if possible.
• The hospital will contact you by telephone to arrange an appointment, so the correct contact telephone number is very important. If they are not able to contact you by telephone they will send you an appointment letter.
• Talk to your doctor’s surgery if you have not been contacted by the hospital within one week of your doctor’s referral.
• Let the hospital know immediately if you are unable to attend your appointment so that the appointment can be offered to someone else. It is important that you arrange an alternative date and time when cancelling this appointment.

Help the hospitals get it right

If you have a complaint, concern, comment or compliment please let the hospital know by speaking to one of their members of staff. They learn from your feedback and use the information to improve and develop their services

Leeds: You can call the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS). PALS provides nonmedical advice and information about local NHS services. Call 0800 0525 270 (an answer machine is available out of hours) or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For more information visit PALS and Complaints

Harrogate: To leave feedback for Harrogate, please contact their Patient Experience Team on 01423 555499 or email:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Team is available 9.30am-4pm, Monday-Friday.

For more information, visit Patient Experience Team