How to get referred

Referral for treatment under the NHS

You will need to be referred by a doctor / GP.

They will then write a referral letter, giving brief details of your condition and send it to the appointments office. You may also be referred using Choose and Book.

Referrals for overseas patients

There are various criteria laid out by the UK government that we have to follow before we accept a referral for a patient living outside the UK.

British Nationals living abroad

NHS care is free of charge to everyone who resides in the UK on a permanent and settled basis, independent of their nationality. Having British Nationality, a UK passport, NHS number, GP registration and paid or paying national contributions does not qualify someone to free NHS care automatically. Please note: Members of the British Armed Forces or British Diplomatic Service based overseas are entitled to free NHS treatment.

Private patients

Private patients are treated at Darent Valley Hospital, for further details please visit the private patient section of this website.