Update on commonly raised referring user issues since the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS) release 15.3 (May 2025)
Below are common issues referring users have raised since e-RS was updated on 9 May 2025.
Last updated: 19 June 2025 - problem '8' updated and problem '10' added below.
Further changes to the referrer screen layouts were introduced on Friday 9 May to address the following:
- To improve accessibility, especially for users with additional requirements, aligning with our legal responsibilities.
- To adopt the NHS UK design style – making e-RS a more intuitive and user-friendly interface.
- To support future e-RS developments. For example, a professional user accessing e-RS via a tablet or mobile device.
- To streamline workflows and tasks; reducing the burden & time users spend managing tasks.
- To support feedback and research we’ve undertaken with referring users.
We are aware that some users have experienced problems and have concerns about some the changes which were made. We have listed these below and a workaround where it is available, next steps where appropriate and if/when these will be resolved.
Further changes to the referrer screen layouts were introduced on Friday 23 May and Friday 13 June 2025, to address some of the following:
1. Fixed 23 May: GP clinical system users reported that once an Advice and Guidance (A&G) has been created and the ‘Sent message’ button has been selected, UBRNs locked and clinical information sent from GP systems were rejected. The rejection maybe presented as a transmission error in the GP clinical system
The fix rectifies UBRNs that are raised after 23 May. The locking issue will continue with any A&G created prior to the 23 May.
If you do encounter a message transmission error in your GP clinical system, you can resend the message and it should process as the lock will have expired. If you are unsure how to do this, please contact your GP system supplier for information.
Workaround: As an alternative workaround, users can ‘Close’ the A&G request in e-RS (top right of the screen) this will prevent the UBRN locking.
EMIS users should ensure ‘Close’ is selected before choosing the ‘I have selected a service’ at the bottom of the EMIS window.
SystmOne users should ensure ‘Close’ is selected before returning to their clinical system and continuing their local process.
2. Fixed - 13 June: some referrals were appearing in practices’ ‘Incomplete UBRNs’ worklist within e-RS and couldn't be removed even though they have been processed
This issue only occurred for referrals that had been placed in the ‘Defer Appointment Booking’ process (previously called ‘Defer to Provider’). These referrals will be removed from the Incomplete UBRNs worklist when booked by the receiving hospital.
A fix on the 23 May stopped the UBRNs appearing on the ‘Incomplete UBRNs’ worklist. A change to remove the processed UBRNs was completed on 13 June.
3. Fixed 23 May: users have reported that they would like the option to sort the results on the ‘Service search results’ screen by the service location as well as by service name
4. Fixed 23 May: when searching for a specific ‘Service provider organisation’ e-RS returns multiple results with the same name, making it harder to know which is the correct one to use
5. Some users have reported that when adding a referral letter, e-RS is looking for documents saved on the local computer, rather than the clinical system
If users are trying to attach documents from within their clinical system, they should not use the ‘Add referral letter’ link within e-RS.
Instead, users should complete the steps to create a referral or advice request within e-RS, return to their clinical system and follow their existing process to add documents and supporting clinical information in the usual way.
6. Some users are reporting that when printing an A&G conversation they are getting more information (for example, history) than before the changes
On the Advice summary screen, users can click the ‘Download Summary’ option at the top of the screen. This will open the pages in a new window.
Identify which pages contain the information required and use the print icon at the top right of the screen to save the information.
Select this and then change your printer to either ‘Microsoft Print to PDF’, ‘Save as PDF’ or similar and then ‘Save’ the required pages..
This will create a new PDF document with the information requested.
7. Usability issues
Shortlisting services
Once the appropriate services have been selected the ‘Select action’ button will offer the options to ‘Shortlist only’ or ‘Book/send for triage’. Shortlist only was previously the ‘Request’ button which was located at the bottom of the previous screen.
Once services have been chosen and the ‘Book/send for triage’ button selected, the options displayed on the ‘Review service options’ screen users may wish to return to the search results to make changes or to create a shortlist of services for the patient. To do this select the ‘Go back to Search results’ screen link at the top left of the screen and action accordingly.
New screen:
Altering screen size
Users are able increase or decrease the size of their screen in the following ways:
- Selecting the ellipses (three dots) from the top right of the browsers screen and altering the ‘Zoom’.
Microsoft Edge browser:
Google Chrome browser:
- Selecting Ctrl on the keyboard and using the mouse wheel.
- Selecting Ctrl on the keyboard and using – or +.
New UBRNs on worklists
The previous ‘New’ label shown in the worklists has been updated with a red dot with a darker background colour.
Once the UBRN has been opened by someone in the organisation the red dot will be removed and the background colour becomes lighter.
8. Fix planned 11 July (subject to final testing) - retention of worklist sorting
If a referring user sorts their worklist by a particular column and carries out an action on a UBRN, the sort order is not retained when returning to the worklist.
NHS England is progressing with a change to revert this back to the previous behaviour. We will provide further updates on timescales as they become available.
9. Fixed 23 May: advice and guidance (A&G) conversation page is not always presenting all response information sent by the service provider
If an A&G response is completed by an Service Provider Clinician Admin, on behalf of a Service Provider Clinician, and they provide a text only response (no attachments) then the A&G conversation is not displayed to the requesting organisation.
The full A&G conversation can view by the requesting organisation by downloading the A&G summary.
10. Fixed planned 11 July (subject to final testing): referring users requested the ‘Actions’ and Scroll buttons persist on the screen when they scroll down a table (for example, the patient activity list, a worklist, when searching for services)
If you have any additional feedback on these changes please contact [email protected].
Last edited: 19 June 2025 11:13 am