NHS Information Authority

Data Standards and Information Programme

Reference:	Change Request 331
Version No:	1.9
Subject:	Relating to First Appointment
Type of Change:	Revision to NHS Data Standards
Effective Date:	Immediate
Reason for Change:	Addition of descriptive text to clarify purpose and usage of REFERRAL STATUS attribute.

Background:

Referral Status was introduced in DSCN 20/2001 to support full and partial booking systems. Referral Status and Referral Status Date are required to record the changing status of a Referral Request for an Out-Patient Appointment.

This DSCN amplifies the description of Referral Status and makes it clear that the classification refers to first appointments only.

Summary of changes:

Attribute Definitions
REFERRAL STATUS	Change to Description

Name:	Barbara Fogarty
Date:	10 October 2003
Sponsor:	Data and Information Standards Programme

Note: Additions shown in highlighted with a blue background. Deletions are shown using strikeout.

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REFERRAL STATUS

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Change to Attribute: Change to Description

The status of a REFERRAL REQUEST for an OUT-PATIENT APPOINTMENT.

The REFERRAL STATUS monitors the progress of an out-patient referral, from the time that the referral is received by the Trust until the referral is closed.

The REFERRAL STATUS should be first recorded when the out-patient REFERRAL REQUEST is received and accepted. If the PATIENT is given an immediate appointment, the initial status will be Appointment accepted / made. If the PATIENT is not given an immediate appointment, the initial status will be Appointment Pending, which will change to Appointment accepted / made when the appointment has been agreed with, or sent to, the PATIENT. The final status will always be Referral Closed.

Note that Appointment accepted / made and Appointment pending relate only to appointments for a first attendance.

Classification:

a.	Appointment accepted / made
b.	Appointment pending
c.	Referral closed

This attribute is also known by these names:

Context	Alias
plural	REFERRAL STATUS

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