A common theme that emerged since launch was that the existing mechanisms of referring children to Children’s Specialist Community Services, namely post and FAX, are no longer acceptable for a whole range of reasons. These very outdated means of referral are inefficient, costly and potentially pose risks in terms of information governance. Filling out a paper form and posting it or faxing is also not always the most accessible or user friendly route for a referrer to take.

With the primary aim of making referrals easier, the RMC embarked on a project to design and implement an online referral system. This system permits the referrer to go to the Trust’s website, open a simple link and complete a very simple referral form. This link also works on mobile devices adding an additional benefit to referrers who may not have immediate access to a workstation.