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Home Service Laboratory Services Clinical Genetics Service How to make a referral to Clinical Genetics

How to make a referral to Clinical Genetics

PLEASE NOTE: For any referral relating to a family member that is already known to our service, it is imperative that you include the details of that family member (name and D.O.B).  This information is essential for triage.

  • Inpatient referrals

    Health professionals can contact Clinical Genetics to discuss inpatients via:

     

    We will require the patient’s details, clinical information and any suspected genetic diagnosis.

    Please include contact details for the ward, and the patient’s responsible consultant.

    For cases appropriate for trio exome (e.g. neonates and children), we may ask you to send us EDTA samples from both parents.

    If the patient is stable, and a genetic diagnosis is unlikely to impact immediate management, please refer the patient as an outpatient, via Epic, e-mail or post (mark clearly as outpatient referral).

  • Outpatient referrals

    Health professionals can make an outpatient referral to Clinical Genetics via:

     

    Key information to include in the referral:

    1. The details (name and D.O.B) of any related individuals who are already known to our service.
      • If the family have a pedigree number (e.g. PED01234) please include this.
    2. A way for us to contact YOU (the referrer) about the referral (ideally an e-mail address).
    3. Please check that the patient’s phone number is correct.
      • Up-to-date contact information for the patient is vital. We often contact the patient at the time of triage to gather further information.
  • Rapid referrals (e.g. palliative patients, pregnant women)

    In certain circumstances, patients may warrant an urgent referral to Clinical Genetics (for example a pregnant woman known to be at risk of having a pregnancy affected by a genetic disorder (see also Prenatal care and testing), or a patient who is palliative.)

    In these circumstances, please send your referral via Epic (REF1021) or e-mail genetic.medicine@belfasttrust.hscni.net, or contact the clinical genetics consultant or genetic counsellor on call (028 9504 8022 or via Belfast Trust switchboard).

    For palliative patients, it is advisable to send DNA for storage at the time of the referral. Click here for the Test request form.  We also have a patient information leaflet on DNA storage.

  • Patient self-referral

    In select circumstances, patients can make a self-referral to Clinical Genetics using the form below, such as when a family member has already been seen by Clinical Genetics and advised that relatives may benefit from an appointment.

    Please note, a self-referral form, which does not link to an existing patient/ pedigree, will be rejected before triage.

    Click here to download the external referral form. 

These are documents that the Clinical Genetics team might request that you complete and return via post or e-mail.

 

General contact information:

Laboratory queries: GeneticsLabs@belfasttrust.hscni.net / 028 9504 7353

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