Referring a Patient
Referring a patient to Medelit
Medelit provides nursing, medical and therapy services in the patient’s home, at any age. The most frequent referrals are for post-operative wound care, followed by injections, rehabilitation and specialist review. This page explains how to refer, what to include in the referral letter, and what you will receive after the visit.
There is no referral form. The patient books online and uploads your letter during the booking.
Services available
Six areas of home-based care for patients of any age. All services are booked in the same way; the booking system indicates whether a referral letter or a prescription is required for the service selected.
Nursing care
Wound care and dressings, tissue viability, prescribed injections and infusions, urinary catheter, PICC, midline and port care, stoma and bowel care, blood and lab tests taken at home, hourly nursing.
Doctors and specialists
GP visits for patients who cannot travel, geriatric assessment, endocrinology and diabetes, orthopaedic review, physical medicine and rehabilitation, palliative care, psychiatry and gynaecology.
Physiotherapy
Rehabilitation after joint replacement, fracture or surgery; neurological physiotherapy for stroke, Parkinson’s and MS; cardiovascular and respiratory physiotherapy; manual lymphatic drainage.
Speech and language therapy
Swallowing and communication difficulties after stroke or with neurological conditions, voice disorders; speech, language and communication difficulties in children, seen in their own environment.
Podiatry
Diabetic foot screening, assessment and ongoing surveillance; nail and skin care including ingrown toenails, corns and callus; routine foot care for elderly or immobile patients.
Psychology, nutrition and online care
Psychological assessment and therapy at home or by video, nutritional therapy, acupuncture, and video consultations with doctors and therapists for patients who do not need a physical visit.
The complete list is on the Services page. Each service can also be found through the search function in the booking system.
Common reasons for referral
The situations in which GPs and consultants most often refer patients to a home-visiting service.
✓Frequent referrals
- Wound care after surgery: dressing changes, wound checks, suture and clip removal, drain and line care, at any age
- Care after hospital discharge: anticoagulant injections, catheter care, early rehabilitation
- Housebound, frail or immobile patients who need routine treatment: dressings, injections, catheter changes, blood tests
- Rehabilitation at home: mobility after a fall, stairs and transfers, a home exercise programme
- Swallowing and communication therapy after a stroke or with a progressive neurological condition
- Diabetic foot care and podiatry for patients who cannot reach a clinic
- Palliative and end-of-life support at home, alongside your care plan
→Other circumstances
- Patients awaiting community services whose treatment cannot wait
- Dementia, anxiety or other mental health conditions for which travelling to appointments is distressing
- Visitors, expatriates and business travellers staying in London hotels or serviced apartments
- Video consultations with doctors, psychologists and therapists when a physical visit is not needed
- Treatment packages for ongoing wound care, neuro-physiotherapy and speech therapy
Not an emergency service
Visits are arranged according to the clinician’s availability. In an emergency, call 999.
Private and self-funded
Fees are shown to the patient before the booking is confirmed. There is no charge to the referring clinician or practice.
Coverage
Most clinicians cover Greater London. The booking system shows the clinicians available for the patient’s address.
How to refer
Referrals are made through the patient’s online booking. No paperwork is sent to Medelit directly.
The patient books online
The patient searches for the service or describes the problem, enters their address and sees the clinicians available, with profiles, fees and availability. They may select a clinician or leave the choice to Medelit. Where the patient is unable to do this, a relative, carer or member of your staff may complete the booking on their behalf, with the patient’s consent.
The referral letter is uploaded
The patient uploads your referral letter, or the hospital discharge letter, in the booking form. A letter is mandatory for wound care, catheter and line care, stoma care and first psychology or psychiatry consultations. Injections and infusions additionally require a valid prescription.
Triage, visit and report
The booking team triages the request according to your indications, and the clinician reviews the letter before the visit. The patient confirms the appointment by email and payment. A written clinical report is produced after the visit.
Booking requests may be submitted at any time and are processed every day of the year. The booking address is www.medelit.com/uk/contact-us/book-home-visit/
The referral letter
The letter should identify the patient, summarise the relevant clinical background and state clearly what is required of the visiting clinician.
- Who is referring: your name, role, practice or hospital and contact details
- Clinical history: relevant diagnoses, recent procedures or admissions, medications and allergies
- The current issue: what is happening now, what has been tried, and why you are referring
- What is required of the clinician, stated as precisely as possible: dressing regime and product, medicine and dose, assessment required
- Risks and practical information: infection status, anticoagulation, cognitive impairment, mobility, access to the property
- Information to be reported back, and the circumstances in which you wish to be contacted
Letter requirements
Readable and in English, dated within the last six months, on headed paper with the surgery or hospital contact details, signed by a UK or EU registered doctor whose name and registration number are legible.
Prescriptions
Nurses may administer a medicine only against a valid prescription stating the medicine, dose, frequency, total number of administrations with start and end dates, and the route, timing and any dilution required.
The clinical report
After the visit the clinician prepares a written report covering the history taken, the findings, the diagnosis or assessment, the treatment carried out and the recommendations for follow-up.
The report is issued to the patient, who may share it with you, and is written to allow the referring clinician to continue the patient’s care. Repeat visits, follow-up sessions and treatment packages are booked in the same way.
Further information
Is this a private service?
Yes. Medelit is a private, self-funded service and is not part of the NHS. Fees for each service are shown to the patient for their address before the booking is confirmed. There is no charge to the referring clinician or practice.
Which areas do you cover?
Most clinicians cover Greater London; some also serve other areas. Coverage varies by service and by clinician. The booking system shows the clinicians available for the patient’s address, so there is no need to check with Medelit in advance.
How quickly can a visit take place?
Visit times depend on the availability of the clinicians, who accommodate the patient’s preferred day and time wherever possible. For urgent requests, the patient should leave the clinician selection as “no preference”: the request is then sent to several available clinicians at once, which usually results in the earliest appointment.
Who are your clinicians?
Medelit is an introductory service. Each clinician in the network is fully licensed and registered with the relevant UK regulator, has a minimum of two years of practice in the UK, and is fully vetted before joining, with credentials, registration and experience verified. Quality of care is monitored on an ongoing basis, including patient feedback after each visit, so that every clinician continues to meet the standards of care Medelit expects of its network.
Can I refer by phone, email or fax?
No. All requests are made through the online booking, with the referral letter attached. The patient normally books for themselves; a relative, carer or member of your staff may do so on their behalf with the patient’s consent. To discuss a specific patient before a booking is made, please use the information request form.
How is patient information handled?
Referral letters and reports are shared only with the clinician carrying out the visit and the booking team, and are handled in accordance with UK data protection law. Please include only the information necessary for the care requested.
Making a referral
Provide the patient with your referral letter and the booking address below.