NHS referral updates for patients

17 September 2026

From 11 September 2026, you may receive more updates from the NHS after you have been referred for hospital care.

We know that waiting to hear what is happening after a referral can sometimes feel uncertain. New NHS notifications are being introduced to give you more information while your referral is being reviewed.

You may receive a notification to let you know that your referral has been received and is being reviewed, and another when your referral has been accepted.

Depending on the contact details and preferences held for you, these updates may come through the NHS App, email or text message.

You do not need to do anything when you receive one of these messages. It is simply an update to reassure you that your referral is progressing. The hospital team will contact you when there is more information or when they need you to do something.

If you use the NHS App, you may also be able to see information about your referral there.

These new notifications are being introduced nationally by the NHS to help keep patients better informed while they wait.