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How to contact the GP liaison service
The Royal Free London (RFL) GP liaison service is open for you as an informal route to raise an enquiry or concern about any of our services. This includes services at Barnet Hospital, Chase Farm Hospital, the Royal Free Hospital, or any of our satellite sites. It is a non-urgent and non-clinical service.
When contacting the service, please include the following information:
- patient’s details (name, date of birth and NHS number)
- department the enquiry relates to
- hospital the enquiry relates to
We will not be able to investigate your enquiry without the above information. We endeavour to respond within 10 working days from the date the above information is provided.
You can contact the GP liaison service by email: rf-tr.
The GP liaison service is only open to NHS colleagues and other healthcare professionals. Please do not share these contact details with your patients.
Patient referral and appointment queries
Patients should contact our outpatient appointments call centre if they have any questions about their care. This includes information about referrals, appointments, and test results.
If the team is unable to answer a patient’s question, they will forward the call to the relevant service.
The call centre can be contacted by calling: 020 7443 9757. It is open Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays), 8am to 5pm.
Information about outpatient appointments
View indicative waiting times
Indicative waiting times for routine first appointments, cancer two-week waits, and diagnostics across north central London are available on the North Central London GP website.
Guidance: urgent adult blood test referrals
The process for referring your patient for an urgent adult blood test at Barnet Hospital, Edgware Community Hospital and the Royal Free Hospital has not changed.
Patients should visit our blood testing departments with a hard copy of their blood test form. Please ensure that you have typed ‘urgent’ on this.
Urgent adult blood tests do not need to be pre-booked, and patients can walk-in. Handwritten forms will not be accepted.
Royal Free London and North Middlesex University Hospital merger
Following approval from both trusts’ boards, the full business case for the merger of RFL and North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust (North Mid) is currently being reviewed by NHS England and will then go to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. Subject to this standard approval process, we expect to bring our organisations together around the end of the year, with a planned formal merger date of 1 January 2025.
We believe that the merger will enable us to go further and faster in improving services for patients, the health of the local community and opportunities for staff to develop their careers. We have identified the first four clinical areas that we will prioritise for early integration. These are areas where, as a group, we will be able to accelerate the delivery of the benefits for patients, staff and our communities: oncology; colorectal, research and development and surgical hubs.
Patients will still be referred to their usual local hospital and our hospitals will continue to provide the same routine services for their local patients. At North Mid, these include A&E, maternity, intensive care, paediatrics, acute surgery, acute medicine, and community services.
Find out more about the RFL and North Mid merger
Changes to reporting biochemistry test results: Barnet Hospital
We have made some changes to how biochemistry tests are reported from our laboratory at Barnet Hospital.
The reference ranges for some biochemistry tests have been updated. Please read this document from Health Services Laboratories which lists the tests that are affected.
It is essential that all GPs review these new reference ranges when they receive a patients' results to ensure that they are interpreted correctly. Please note that paediatric acute kidney injury reporting has been updated in line with the British Association for Paediatric Nephrology's guidance.
These changes were introduced in our Barnet Hospital laboratory on Tuesday 1 October. We will be making similar changes at the Royal Free Hospital laboratory soon and will keep you updated.
We have also introduced a new laboratory information system at the RFL. There should be no changes to how GPs request and review results, however, if you experience any problems, please let us know by contacting rf-tr.
For further information, please contact Dr Puja Ayrton, clinical lead for biochemistry at Barnet Hospital: p.
New chief executive starts at Chase Farm Hospital
Palmer Winstanley has joined the RFL as the new chief executive of Chase Farm Hospital and group clinical services. He has been the acting chief executive at Northampton General Hospital for the past year.
Previous to this, Palmer worked at King’s College Hospital before moving to Northampton General Hospital as the chief operating officer and deputy chief executive.
Reminder: pathology turnaround times and helpdesk contact details
Primary care colleagues can expect to receive pathology results within the following timeframes. These start when a sample is received in our laboratories, or the test has been completed. They are subject to change.
All RFL sites
- Biochemistry tests: three days
- Haematology tests: two days
If you have any questions about your patient's results, please contact the pathology results helpline:
- Royal Free Hospital
- 020 3758 2070
- rf-tr.
pathologyenquiries @nhs.net
- Barnet Hospital/Chase Farm Hospital/Edgware Community Hospital
- 020 8216 4885
- rf-tr.
barnetlab. helpdesk @nhs.net
The results helplines are open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
For tQuest support enquiries, please email helpdesk
If you would like to receive these updates directly, please contact rf-tr.
How to contact the GP liaison service
The Royal Free London (RFL) GP liaison service is open for you as an informal route to raise an enquiry or concern about any of our services. This includes services at Barnet Hospital, Chase Farm Hospital, the Royal Free Hospital, or any of our satellite sites. It is a non-urgent and non-clinical service.
When contacting the service, please include the following information:
- patient’s details (name, date of birth and NHS number)
- department the enquiry relates to
- hospital the enquiry relates to
We will not be able to investigate your enquiry without the above information. We endeavour to respond to your enquiry within 10 working days from the date the above information is provided.
You can contact the GP liaison service by email: rf-tr.gpliaison@nhs.net or by calling 020 3758 2000 ext. 36015.
The GP liaison service is only open to NHS colleagues and other healthcare professionals. Please do not share these contact details with your patients.
Patient referral and appointment queries
Patients should contact our outpatient appointments call centre if they have any questions about their care. This includes information about referrals, appointments, and test results.
If the team is unable to answer a patient’s question, they will forward the call to the relevant service.
The call centre can be contacted by calling: 020 7443 9757. It is open Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays), 8am-5pm.
Information about outpatient appointments.
View indicative waiting times
Indicative waiting times for routine first appointments, cancer two week waits, and diagnostics across north central London are available on the North Central London GP website.
Visit the North Central London GP website here.
Reminder: new baby tongue-tie clinic referral form
When referring babies with suspected tongue-tie to the Royal Free Hospital, please complete this new referral form. If the correct form is not used, our service will not be able to accept the referral. Please complete the referral form and send it to: rf-tr.tonguetie@
Royal Free London and North Middlesex University Hospital trust boards approve business case for merger
The RFL and North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust (North Mid) trust boards have approved the full business case for the coming together of our organisations.
Our plans for North Mid merging into the RFL group, alongside Barnet Hospital, Chase Farm Hospital, and the Royal Free Hospital, will now be looked at by NHS England in the autumn and following its approval, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with the aim of bringing our organisations together around the end of the year.
Hundreds of colleagues across both trusts have been involved in developing our plans for merger. We have also spoken with over 100 stakeholders and engaged with our patients and communities, and will continue to do so, to keep them informed and to respond to their comments and questions. We would like to thank them all for their valuable input.
Our work has reaffirmed our belief that we can go further and faster in improving services for patients, the health of our communities and opportunities for our staff as a single organisation than as two separate trusts.
Patients will still be referred to their usual local hospital and our hospitals will continue to provide the same routine services for their local patients. At North Mid, these include A&E, maternity, intensive care, paediatrics, acute surgery, acute medicine, and community services.
Find out more about the RFL and North Mid merger.
Reminder: pathology turnaround times and helpdesk contact details
Primary care colleagues can expect to receive pathology results within the following timeframes. These start when a sample is received in our laboratories, or the test has been completed. They are subject to change.
All RFL sites
- Biochemistry tests: three days
- Haematology tests: two days
If you have any questions about your patient's results, please contact the pathology results helpline:
- Royal Free Hospital
- 020 3758 2070
- rf-tr.
pathologyenquiries @nhs.net
- Barnet Hospital/Chase Farm Hospital/Edgware Community Hospital
- 020 8216 4885
- rf-tr.
barnetlab. helpdesk @nhs.net
The results helplines are open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
For tQuest support enquiries, please email helpdesk
If you would like to receive these updates directly, please contact rf-tr.
GP liaison service
The Royal Free London (RFL) GP liaison service is open for you as an informal route to raise an enquiry or concern about any of our services. This includes services at Barnet Hospital, Chase Farm Hospital, the Royal Free Hospital, or any of our satellite sites. It is a non-urgent and non-clinical service.
When contacting the service, please include the following information:
- patient’s details (name, date of birth and NHS number)
- department the enquiry relates to
- hospital the enquiry relates to
We will not be able to investigate your enquiry without the above information. We endeavour to respond within 10 working days from the date the above information is provided.
You can contact the GP liaison service by email: rf-tr.
The GP liaison service is only open to NHS colleagues and other healthcare professionals. Please do not share these contact details with your patients.
Patient referral and appointment queries
Patients should contact our outpatient appointments call centre if they have any questions about their care. This includes information about referrals, appointments, and test results.
If the team is unable to answer a patient’s question, they will forward the call to the relevant service.
The call centre can be contacted by calling: 020 7443 9757. It is open Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays), 8am to 5pm.
Information about outpatient appointments
View indicative waiting times
Indicative waiting times for routine first appointments, cancer two-week waits, and diagnostics across north central London are available on the North Central London GP website.
Leadership news
David Crampsey has been appointed as the Royal Free Hospital's chief executive and will take up the role from 30 October.
David, a trained ear, nose and throat surgeon and consultant otolaryngologist, joins us from Airedale NHS Foundation Trust where he has been deputy chief executive and medical director since 2020, having previously held the positions of deputy medical director and divisional director for surgery and diagnostics at Airedale from February 2018.
Palmer Winstanley has been appointed as chief executive of Chase Farm Hospital and group clinical services and joins the RFL on 1 October. He has been the acting chief executive at Northampton General Hospital for the past year.
Royal Free London and North Middlesex University Hospital trust boards approve business case for merger
The RFL and North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust (North Mid) trust boards have approved the full business case for the coming together of our organisations.
Our plans for North Mid merging into the RFL group, alongside Barnet Hospital, Chase Farm Hospital, and the Royal Free Hospital, will now be looked at by NHS England in the autumn and following its approval, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with the aim of bringing our organisations together around the end of the year.
Hundreds of colleagues across both trusts have been involved in developing our plans for merger. We have also spoken with over 100 stakeholders and engaged with our patients and communities, and will continue to do so, to keep them informed and to respond to their comments and questions. We would like to thank them all for their valuable input.
Our work has reaffirmed our belief that we can go further and faster in improving services for patients, the health of our communities and opportunities for our staff as a single organisation than as two separate trusts.
Patients will still be referred to their usual local hospital and our hospitals will continue to provide the same routine services for their local patients. At North Mid, these include A&E, maternity, intensive care, paediatrics, acute surgery, acute medicine, and community services.
Find out more about RFL and North Mid merger
Encourage trans and non-binary patients to attend breast screening
Our breast screening services are encouraging transgender and non-binary individuals aged 50 to 71 to attend breast screening every three years.
GP are asked to advise transmen and non-binary people assigned female at birth who have not had chest reconstruction, and transwomen and non-binary people assigned male at birth (AMAB) who are on long-term hormone therapy, to have breast screening.
Transmen and non-binary people assigned female at birth who have not had chest reconstruction should be offered a referral to breast screening. Trans women and non-binary people assigned male at birth who are on long-term hormone therapy are also advised to consider being screened for breast cancer.
Please note that people who are registered as female will receive routine invitations for breast screening from age 50 to 71.
People registered as male will not be invited to breast screening and GPs are advised to arrange a referral for a mammogram at a local breast service.
If you have any queries, please contact the London breast screening administration hub on rf-tr.
Breast screening information for trans and non-binary people
Reminder: ordering pathology tests
All pathology tests must be requested electronically via tQuest. Handwritten requests will not be accepted.
GPs are asked to create a new order for every test requested through tQuest as this will ensure tests are processed without delay.
If you have any queries, please contact the Health Service Laboratories helpdesk: helpdesk
The helpdesk is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
Changes to Barnet Hospital radiology referrals
In April, we informed you that we would be changing how you request radiology tests for your patients at Barnet Hospital.
All practices who had access to the Barnet Hospital radiology tQuest system were transitioned onto the North Central London (NCL) tQuest System in April to order radiology tests.
The Barnet Hospital tQuest system will close tomorrow, 9 August at 5pm.
Please ensure that you are using the NCL tQuest system to order all radiology tests. This is the same system used for requesting pathology tests.
For more information, please contact Pav Asghar, radiology operations manager: pav.asghar@nhs.net.
New gynaecological services available at Hadley Wood Hospital
Hadley Wood Hospital is offering two new gynaecological services for patients who have uterine fibroids and cervical abnormalities.
The services available are sonata treatment and colposcopy.
Please share this information with patients who might be interested.
If you would like further details, please contact Joseph Mekkattukulam, sales and engagement manager: rf-tr.
Hadley Wood Hospital services and treatments
Guidance: labelling samples
The Health Services Laboratories has been receiving an increased number of samples with the wrong labels attached.
Please ensure the correct labels are placed on sample bottles with the patients’ details clearly written.
Please follow this labelling practice guidance.
For more information, please email helpdesk
Reminder: pathology turnaround times and helpdesk contact details
Primary care colleagues can expect to receive pathology results within the following timeframes. These start when a sample is received in our laboratories, or the test has been completed. They are subject to change.
All RFL sites
- Biochemistry tests: three days
- Haematology tests: two days
If you have any questions about your patient's results, please contact the pathology results helpline:
- Royal Free Hospital
- 020 3758 2070
- rf-tr.
pathologyenquiries @nhs.net
- Barnet Hospital/Chase Farm Hospital/Edgware Community Hospital
- 020 8216 4885
- rf-tr.
barnetlab. helpdesk @nhs.net
The results helplines are open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
For tQuest support enquiries, please email helpdesk
If you would like to receive these updates directly, please contact rf-tr.
GP liaison service
The Royal Free London (RFL) GP liaison service is open for you as an informal route to raise an enquiry or concern about any of our services. This includes services at Barnet Hospital, Chase Farm Hospital, the Royal Free Hospital, or any of our satellite sites. It is a non-urgent and non-clinical service.
When contacting the service, please include the following information:
- patient’s details (name, date of birth and NHS number)
- department the enquiry relates to
- hospital the enquiry relates to
We will not be able to investigate your enquiry without the above information. We endeavour to respond to your enquiry within 10 working days from the date the above information is provided.
You can contact the GP liaison service by email: rf-tr.gpliaison@nhs.net or by calling 020 3758 2000 ext. 36015.
The GP liaison service is only open to NHS colleagues and other healthcare professionals. Please do not share these contact details with your patients.
Patient referral and appointment queries
Patients should contact our outpatient appointments call centre if they have any questions about their care. This includes information about referrals, appointments, and test results.
If the team is unable to answer a patient’s question, they will forward the call to the relevant service.
The call centre can be contacted by calling: 020 7443 9757. It is open Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays), 8am-5pm.
Full details can be found on our website.
View indicative waiting times
Indicative waiting times for routine first appointments, cancer two week waits, and diagnostics across north central London are available on the North Central London GP website.
Visit the North Central London GP website here.
North Mid and Royal Free London merger plans
We are currently developing our detailed business case for how North Mid could merge into the RFL Group. Our plans would see us continue to provide the same local services at our hospitals and in the community, while working together to ensure that all our patients receive high standards of care, no matter where they live. However, by merging, we expect to deliver more joined up services for patients, reduced waiting times, and greater support to keep people healthy, along with more education and development opportunities for our staff.
We are developing detailed cases for how a merger would benefit patients, particularly in the areas of cancer care, planned surgery and research. We have been engaging with our staff about what a merger means for them and are delivering a programme of community engagement to keep patients and local people informed so that we can respond to any questions or comments.
We expect the business case will go to both trust boards for approval over the summer and to NHS England for approval in the autumn, after which we would plan to bring our organisations together around the end of the year.
New immunology testing system introduced
The RFL has implemented a new system, Helix, for immunology testing.
There are no changes to how GPs view and receive immunology reports.
All results will continue to be delivered via the Health Services Laboratories keystone link and GPs are asked to send any queries to helpdesk
The results helpdesk is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
The helpdesk is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm (excluding bank holidays).
Skin cancer services: update
Please find below an update on our skin cancer services:
Suspected skin cancer referrals
Suspected skin cancer referrals to the RFL are increasing.
Please can all GPs ensure that they are following the National Institute for Health and Care’s guidance for suspected cancer before making a referral.
If you have any uncertainties about your patient’s condition, please follow the routine teledermatology pathway or access consultant connect before making a referral.
New referral pathway for suspected skin cancer coming soon
We are piloting a new teledermatology service for suspected skin cancer where a medical photographer takes high quality images of the areas of concern.
These are reviewed by a specialist skin cancer clinician within 72 hours and means that we can see more patients.
This referral pathway will be available to GPs later this year. We will keep you updated via this update.
For further information about the new pathway, please contact Tom Banks, project manager, RFL: t.
Whooping cough testing
Testing for whooping cough is available at the RFL.
Please note only dry swabs are accepted and results will be available within two to three days.
GPs are asked to follow this guidance when a patient presents with whooping cough symptoms.
For more information, please email helpdesk@tdlpathology.com or visit
The helpdesk is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
Introducing our new clinical vision
We have launched our five-year clinical vision for how we will bring world class expertise and local care together across the RFL.
This will support our staff to deliver the very best healthcare for all of our patients. It will help us to meet growing demand for our services and create a healthier future for local people and those further afield who come to our hospitals for specialist treatment.
We are introducing new clinical priorities for our hospitals which reflect the needs of the patients we care for. These are:
- supporting the needs of an ageing population and transforming same day and integrated care: Barnet Hospital
- developing different types of surgery and focusing on early diagnosis and prevention through our group clinical services: Chase Farm Hospital
- establishing a national centre of academic and clinical excellence for rare diseases, and working with our partners to reduce chronic diseases and improve patient outcomes: Royal Free Hospital
We have also identified three group-wide clinical priorities: cancer, cardiovascular and organ failure, and transplantation.
New gynaecological services available at Hadley Wood Hospital
Hadley Wood Hospital is offering two new gynaecological procedures for patients who have uterine fibroids and cervical abnormalities.
The treatments available are sonata and colposcopy.
Please share this information with patients who might be interested.
If you would like further details, please contact Joseph Mekkatukulam, sales and engagement manager: rf-tr.ppugpconsultantliaisonoffice@nhs.net.
Changes to pregnancy testing
Health Services Laboratories will be withdrawing pregnancy testing from the RFL test catalogue on Monday 8 July. You will not be able to order this via tQuest.
If possible, GPs are asked to test at their practices. Alternatively, patients can buy pregnancy tests from local pharmacies.
If you have any queries, please email helpdesk
The support helpdesk is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
Diagnostic testing turnaround times
Primary care colleagues can expect to receive test results from cardiology’ pathology and radiology within the following timeframes. These start when a sample is received in our laboratories, or the test has been completed. They are subject to change.
Cardiology
Royal Free Hospital
- 24-hour blood pressure monitoring: one week
- 24-hour ECG: two weeks
- Echo: two weeks
- ECG: one week
Barnet Hospital/Chase Farm Hospital/Edgware Community Hospital
- 24-hour blood pressure monitoring: one week
- 24-hour ECG: three/four weeks
- Echo: one week
- ECG: one week
All ECG results are sent with an automatically generated algorithm, rather than a separate clinical report. Results for the other tests listed above are sent with a cardiac physiologist report.
If you have a specific clinical question about your patients’ results, please submit an advice and guidance request via e-RS. Do not submit a request for general comment on a patient’s results.
Pathology
All RFL sites
- Biochemistry tests: three days
- Haematology tests: two days
If you have any questions about your patient's results', please contact the pathology results helpline:
- Royal Free Hospital
- 020 3758 2070
- rf.
biochemhaemaddon @nhs.net
- Barnet Hospital/Chase Farm Hospital/Edgware Community Hospital
- 020 8216 4885
- rf-tr.
barnetlab. helpdesk @nhs.net
The results helplines are open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
For tQuest support enquiries, please email helpdesk
Imaging
Royal Free Hospital
- X-rays: ten days
- Ultrasounds: two days
- Dexa scans: three to four weeks
Barnet Hospital/Chase Farm Hospital/Potters Bar Hospital/Finchley Memorial Hospital/Edgware Community Hospital
- X-rays: ten days
- Ultrasounds: two days
- Dexa scans: one to two weeks
Please ensure that paper referrals include the signature of the referring GP. We are legally unable to accept referrals without a valid signature.
For T-Quest requests a signature is not required.
The patient should be given the t-Quest printout for X-ray requests (this does not require a signature).
If you have any questions about your patient’s results, please contact the radiology teams:
- Royal Free Hospital
- Barnet Hospital/Chase Farm Hospital/Potters Bar Hospital/Finchley Memorial Hospital/Edgware Community Hospital
Both mailboxes are monitored Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
If you would like to receive these updates directly, please contact rf-tr.gpliaison@nhs.net with your name, role and practice name.
GP liaison service
The Royal Free London (RFL) GP liaison service is open for you as an informal route to raise an enquiry or concern about any of our services. This includes services at Barnet Hospital, Chase Farm Hospital, the Royal Free Hospital, or any of our satellite sites. It is a non-urgent and non-clinical service.
When contacting the service, please include the following information:
- patient’s details (name, date of birth and NHS number)
- department the enquiry relates to
- hospital the enquiry relates to
We will not be able to investigate your enquiry without the above information. We endeavour to respond to your enquiry within 10 working days from the date the above information is provided.
You can contact the GP liaison service by email: rf-tr.gpliaison@nhs.net or by calling 020 3758 2000 ext. 36015.
The GP liaison service is only open to NHS colleagues and other healthcare professionals. Please do not share these contact details with your patients.
Patient referral and appointment queries
Patients should contact our outpatient appointments call centre if they have any questions about their care. This includes information about referrals, appointments, and test results.
If the team is unable to answer a patient’s question, they will forward the call to the relevant service.
The call centre can be contacted by calling: 020 7443 9757. It is open Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays), 8am-5pm.
Full details can be found on our website.
View indicative waiting times
Indicative waiting times for routine first appointments, cancer two week wait and diagnostics across north central London are available on the North Central London GP website.
Lung function reporting updates
Lung function test result reports from the Community Diagnostic Centre at Finchley Memorial Hospital now include a physiologist’s interpretation. We hope that this will help GP practices to better understand the results.
Guidance: blood tests for children at the Royal Free Hospital
Blood tests for children at the Royal Free Hospital must be requested via tQuest. Please remind parents/carers to bring the paper copy of the blood test request to the blood test appointment. All blood test appointments must be pre-booked via the Swiftqueue platform. Urgent appointments are not available online. For urgent tests, please contact one of our paediatricians on 020 7794 0500 bleep 1000. This includes out of hours. There is no walk-in service and forms marked as urgent will not be accepted.
Pain management services at Hadley Wood Hospital
Hadley Wood Hospital is part of the RFL’s private patients’ unit located in High Barnet, North London. Leading consultants offer world-class pain management care for a wide range of acute and chronic pain conditions. Please share this information with patients who might be interested. For more information, please visit the RFL's private patients' unit website.
Guidance: reporting non-coronial deaths
From Monday 9 September, the Government's death certification reforms will require all non-coronial deaths to be reported to the local medical examiner service for legal registration. For Barnet community deaths, the Royal Free London should be notified at rf-tr.
Death certification reforms legislation update
Share your views: pathology services survey
The RFL and Health Services Laboratories are continually trying to improve pathology services. We would like to know what you think about the services provided by the RFL.
Please take a few minutes to fill out our user survey and let us know your thoughts. This will help us understand what is working well and identify areas where we can do better.
The survey closes on Sunday 16 June.
Guidance: head and neck two week wait cancer referrals
Our head and neck service is receiving an increased number of two week wait referrals.
In most cases, patients are assessed and discharged on the same day. GPs are encouraged to submit an advice and guidance request before making a referral if they are unsure.
Please note that the two week wait referral criteria for suspected head and neck cancers has changed and unilateral tinnitus is no longer considered a referral symptom.
GPs are asked to follow this guidance when making a referral.
Reminder: pathology turnaround times and helpdesk contact details
Primary care colleagues can expect to receive pathology results within the following timeframes. These start when a sample is received in our laboratories, or the test has been completed. They are subject to change.
All RFL sites
- Biochemistry tests: three days
- Haematology tests: two days
If you have any questions about your patient's results', please contact the pathology results helpline:
- Royal Free Hospital
- 020 3758 2070
- rf-tr.
pathologyenquiries @nhs.net
- Barnet Hospital/Chase Farm Hospital/Edgware Community Hospital
- 020 8216 4885
- rf-tr.
barnetlab. helpdesk @nhs.net
The results helplines are open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
For tQuest support enquiries, please email helpdesk
If you would like to receive these updates directly, please contact rf-tr.gpliaison@nhs.net with your name, role and practice name.
GP liaison service
The Royal Free London (RFL) GP liaison service is open for you as an informal route to raise an enquiry or concern about any of our services. This includes services at Barnet Hospital, Chase Farm Hospital, the Royal Free Hospital, or any of our satellite sites. It is a non-urgent and non-clinical service.
When contacting the service, please include the following information:
- patient’s details (name, date of birth and NHS number)
- department the enquiry relates to
- hospital the enquiry relates to
We will not be able to investigate your enquiry without the above information. We endeavour to respond to your enquiry within 10 working days from the date the above information is provided.
You can contact the GP liaison service by email: rf.
The GP liaison service is only open to NHS colleagues and other healthcare professionals. Please do not share these contact details with your patients.
Patient referral and appointment queries
Patients should contact our outpatient appointments call centre if they have any questions about their care. This includes information about referrals, appointments, and test results.
If the team is unable to answer a patient’s question, they will forward the call to the relevant service.
The call centre can be contacted by calling: 020 7443 9757. It is open Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays), 8am-5pm.
Full details can be found on our website.
Reminder: please seal cervical cancer screening sample bags
Please ensure cervical cancer screening samples are securely sealed in the specimen bags provided before they are sent to RFL laboratories. There is a risk that samples will not be delivered to the cervical screening London laboratory if they are not correctly sealed.
Whooping cough: guidance
There has been a rise in whooping cough cases. GPs are asked to follow this guidance when a patient presents with whooping cough. It includes information on which test to use depending on how long the patient has had symptoms. For more information, please email helpdesk
The helpdesk is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm (excluding bank holidays).
Eye surgery hub opens at Edgware Community Hospital
A new surgical hub for planned eye surgery at Edgware Community Hospital will help contribute to an additional 3,000 procedures carried out every year across the North Central London (NCL) sector, reducing waiting times for some patients who need sight-saving operations.
The hub, run by the RFL, primarily provides treatment for adults who have common, low complexity conditions such as cataracts. It brings together some eye procedures that were carried out by our clinicians at Chase Farm Hospital, the Royal Free Hospital, and Whittington Health NHS Trust.
Other complex eye surgeries that may need additional medical support, equipment or input from other specialist clinicians such as plastics and paediatrics, will remain at both Chase Farm Hospital and the Royal Free Hospital.
Patients who have their procedure at the hub will continue to attend their local optician or preferred hospital for tests and outpatient appointments before and after having surgery.
GPs should continue to ask patients which hospital they would like to be referred to and look to support any transport needs which some select patients may have. The additional surgical capacity created at Whittington Health, Chase Farm Hospital and the Royal Free Hospital will be used to address waiting lists in other specialities.
Share your views: pathology services survey
The RFL and Health Services Laboratories are continually trying to improve pathology services.
We would like to know what you think about the services provided by the RFL.
Please take a few minutes to fill out our user survey and let us know your thoughts. This will help us understand what is working well and identify areas where we can do better.
The survey closes on Tuesday 14 May.
New breast pain service at Finchley Memorial Hospital
A new breast pain service will open at Finchley Memorial Hospital on Thursday 9 May.
Patients will have a consultation and physical assessment by an experienced clinician in a community-based setting. They will be given advice and information on symptom management.
Patients with any breast abnormalities will be upgraded to a suspected breast cancer pathway. To manage risk patients, complete a breast family history risk assessment, and onward referral if required.
To make a referral, please use this attached form and send it via e-RS to 'Breast Pain 2ww- Finchley Memorial Hospital-RAL'.
Please note the following when making a referral:
Inclusion criteria:
- patient has breast pain
- patient has no other breast and axilla related signs or symptoms (eg. lumps, nipple discharge)
- minimum age is 16
Exclusion criteria:
- any clinical signs requiring a referral to an urgent suspected cancer breast clinic
- past personal medical history of breast cancer
- patient has implants ·
- male patients
- pregnant patients
- patient has a genetic predisposition for breast cancer
Please email Fiona Casey, assistant operations manager, if you have any questions: Fiona.
New baby tongue-tie clinic referral form
The Royal Free Hospital has introduced a new referral form for babies with suspected tongue-tie. Please use this referral form and return the completed form to: rf.
Blood tests for children
When referring a child for a blood test, please advise parents/carers/guardians to follow the instructions provided when applying the local anaesthetic cream (EMLA cream).
Please explain that the cream numbs the skin ready for when the child has the blood test. It will need to be applied one hour before the blood test appointment and be left on the skin until the blood has been taken.
Blood tests for children can be booked via our website.
Nephrology nephrotic service introduces patient initiated follow-up
Our nephrology nephrotic service has introduced the patient initiated follow-up (PIFU) pathway at the Royal Free Hospital.
This means that some patients will not automatically have a follow up appointment booked and will have the choice of requesting follow-up appointments themselves. Patients can choose not to be added to the PIFU pathway and the trust will continue to book their appointments as usual.
The length of the PIFU pathway is two years. Patients who are added to this will be set an end date by our clinicians. If a patient has not booked a follow-up by this date, they will be discharged from the service and back to your care.
If a patient is added to the PIFU pathway, they will receive a letter with the following information. A copy of this letter will also be sent to you:
- confirmation they have been added to the PIFU pathway.
- red flag symptoms that would need a follow up appointment.
- end date of their PIFU pathway.
- contact details to arrange a follow up appointment.
The red flag symptoms are:
- swollen ankles.
- frothy/foamy urine.
- urinalysis (dipstick) result 3+ protein for more than two days.
Additional reasons for you to advise your patient to arrange a routine follow up via PIFU pathway would be:
- significant change in kidney function >15ml/min drop in less than 12 months.
- and/or uPCR or uACR doubles.
If you would like further information, please contact 020 7472 6687 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 4.30pm – excluding bank holidays) or via email: rf-tr.
Changes to urology referrals
From Tuesday 7 May, the urology service will introduce the clinical assessment service (CAS) for all referrals.
This means that there will no longer be multiple specialty clinics for RFL urology on e-RS and it will appear as as one option in the directory of services. Patients referred into this service will be clinically triaged to determine the next steps for their care.
A clinician will triage the referral during a virtual 'appointment', which will the patient will not need to attend. Once the referral is triage, one of the following six possible outcomes will happen:
- A new appointment is not needed – a letter of advice will be sent to the GP and patient.
- A new appointment is not needed – an appointment already exists for the patient.
- A new appointment is not needed – the referral needs to be redirected to another service. Where possible this will be done by a RFL clinician but it may be sent back to the GP.
- A new appointment is needed.
- A new appointment is needed with investigations booked beforehand.
- Investigations booked with a virtual review by consultant before the patient is seen in clinic.
GPs and patients will be sent an outcome letter including any clinical advice and guidance provided by the triaging clinician. This letter will be addressed to the GP and posted to them, with a copy sent to the patient.
We already run a CAS model across 12 outpatient services, and we have been clinically triaging waiting urology referrals since October 2023. We are seeing a positive impact on access to treatment as a result.
Diagnostic testing turnaround times
Primary care colleagues can expect to receive test results from cardiology’ pathology and radiology within the following timeframes. These start when a sample is received in our laboratories, or the test has been completed. They are subject to change.
Cardiology
Royal Free Hospital
- 24-hour blood pressure monitoring: one week
- 24-hour ECG: two weeks
- Echo: two weeks
- ECG: one week
Barnet Hospital/Chase Farm Hospital/Edgware Community Hospital
- 24-hour blood pressure monitoring: one week
- 24-hour ECG: three/four weeks
- Echo: one week
- ECG: one week
All ECG results are sent with an automatically generated algorithm, rather than a separate clinical report. Results for the other tests listed above are sent with a cardiac physiologist report.
If you have a specific clinical question about your patients’ results, please submit an advice and guidance request via e-RS. Do not submit a request for general comment on a patient’s results.
Pathology
All RFL sites
- Biochemistry tests: three days
- Haematology tests: two days
If you have any questions about your patient's results', please contact the pathology results helpline:
- Royal Free Hospital
- 020 3758 2070
- rf.
biochemhaemaddon @nhs.net
- Barnet Hospital/Chase Farm Hospital/Edgware Community Hospital
- 020 8216 4885
- rf-tr.
barnetlab. helpdesk @nhs.net
The results helplines are open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
For tQuest support enquiries, please email helpdesk
Imaging
Royal Free Hospital
- X-rays: ten days
- Ultrasounds: two days
- Dexa scans: three to four weeks
Barnet Hospital/Chase Farm Hospital/Potters Bar Hospital/Finchley Memorial Hospital/Edgware Community Hospital
- X-rays: ten days
- Ultrasounds: two days
- Dexa scans: one to two weeks
Please ensure that paper referrals include the signature of the referring GP. We are legally unable to accept referrals without a valid signature.
For T-Quest requests a signature is not required.
The patient should be given the t-Quest printout for X-ray requests (this does not require a signature).
If you have any questions about your patient’s results, please contact the radiology teams:
- Royal Free Hospital
- Barnet Hospital/Chase Farm Hospital/Potters Bar Hospital/Finchley Memorial Hospital/Edgware Community Hospital
Both mailboxes are monitored Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
If you would like to receive these updates directly, please contact rf.gpliaison@nhs.net with your name, role and practice name.
GP liaison service
The Royal Free London (RFL) GP liaison service is open for you as an informal route to raise an enquiry or concern about any of our services. This includes services at Barnet Hospital, Chase Farm Hospital, the Royal Free Hospital, or any of our satellite sites. It is a non-urgent and non-clinical service.
When contacting the service, please include the following information:
- patient’s details (name, date of birth and NHS number)
- department the enquiry relates to
- hospital the enquiry relates to
We will not be able to investigate your enquiry without the above information. We endeavour to respond to your enquiry within 10 working days from the date the above information is provided.
You can contact the GP liaison service by email: rf.gpliaison@nhs.net or by
calling 020 3758 2000 ext. 36015.
The GP liaison service is only open to NHS colleagues and other healthcare professionals. Please do not share these contact details with your patients.
Patient referral and appointment queries
Patients should contact our outpatient appointments call centre if they have any questions about their care. This includes information about referrals, appointments, and test results.
If the team is unable to answer a patient’s question, they will forward the call to the relevant service.
The call centre can be contacted by calling: 020 7443 9757. It is open Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays), 8am-5pm.
Full details can be found on our website.
Interim chief executive appointed for the Royal Free Hospital
Steve Spoerry has joined the Royal Free Hospital as its interim chief executive.
John Connolly, who was in the role since July 2021, has retired.
John, a renal consultant, worked at the RFL since 2004 and we would like to thank him for his tireless commitment to the trust and its patients.
Prior to joining the RFL, Steve worked for NHS England helping the national screening programmes to recover from the effects of the pandemic and to secure substantial investment in new IT systems.
You can read Steve’s full biography on our website.
View indicative waiting times
Indicative waiting times for routine first appointments, cancer two week wait and diagnostics across north central London are available on the North Central London GP website.
Respiratory service to launch clinical assessment service
The respiratory services at Barnet Hospital and Chase Farm Hospital will introduce a clinical assessment service (CAS) from Monday 8 April.
Patients referred into this service will be clinically triaged to determine the next steps for their care.
GPs will be able to refer patients into the respiratory CAS at Barnet Hospital and Chase Farm Hospital via e-RS.
The triaging clinician will carry out a clinical assessment during a triage appointment which does not involve the patient.
CAS triage has six possible outcomes:
- New appointment not required – letter of advice to GP and patient
- New appointment not required – appointment already exists
- New appointment not required – refer to another service (GP or RFL team)
- First appointment required
- First appointment required with investigations booked beforehand
- Investigations booked with virtual review by consultant
Following CAS triage, GPs and patients will be informed of the outcome including any clinical advice and guidance provided by the triaging clinician. This letter will be addressed to the GP and posted to them, with a copy sent to the patient.
Issue affecting outpatient letters – resolved
A technical issue affecting some outpatient letters from Barnet Hospital and Chase Farm Hospital has been resolved.
Between Friday 1 March and Wednesday 20 March, our managed mail provider, Synertec, was unable to process these documents due to font changes within the letters.
All affected outpatient letters have been resent to GPs and patients.
We apologise for any inconvenience caused.
Docman connect go-live: outpatient clinical correspondence
The RFL has gone live with Docman connect to standardise all clinical correspondence to GP practices.
All practices within North Central London Integrated Care System and Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care System have started receiving some outpatient clinical correspondence via this platform. You started receiving inpatient and emergency department discharge summaries last year.
We plan to send more outpatient clinical correspondence through Docman in the coming months.
This means that you will no longer receive email or hard copy letters if you have the Docman system.
If you have any queries, please contact your Docman support team in the first instance. They will contact the Royal Free London on your behalf.
Changes to Barnet Hospital radiology referrals
From Monday 15 April, we will be changing how you request radiology tests for your patients at Barnet Hospital. The Barnet Hospital radiology tQuest will be gradually phased out and this means that you will need to use the North Central London tQuest system to request radiology tests.
The same system is used for requesting pathology tests.
Please start using the new system as soon as ‘Radiology’ appears on your ordering screen. The exact date will depend on when your practice is enabled, and this will take place between Monday 15 April and Monday 22 April.
For more information, please click here.
Sign up for a continuing medical education programme
The private patients' unit runs educational events for GPs and allied health care professionals.
The next event, ‘Venous problems of the abdomen and legs’ will take place on Thursday 11 April. For more information, please click here.
Diagnostic testing turnaround times
Primary care colleagues can expect to receive test results from cardiology’ pathology and radiology within the following timeframes. These start when a sample is received in our laboratories, or the test has been completed. They are subject to change.
Cardiology
Royal Free Hospital
- 24-hour blood pressure monitoring: one week
- 24-hour ECG: two weeks
- Echo: two weeks
- ECG: one week
Barnet Hospital/Chase Farm Hospital/Edgware Community Hospital
- 24-hour blood pressure monitoring: one week
- 24-hour ECG: three/four weeks
- Echo: one week
- ECG: one week
All ECG results are sent with an automatically generated algorithm, rather than a separate clinical report. Results for the other tests listed above are sent with a cardiac physiologist report.
If you have a specific clinical question about your patients’ results, please submit an advice and guidance request via e-RS. Do not submit a request for general comment on a patient’s results.
Pathology
All RFL sites
- Biochemistry tests: three days
- Haematology tests: two days
If you have any questions about your patient's results', please contact the pathology results helpline:
- Royal Free Hospital
o 020 3758 2070
o rf.biochemhaemaddon @nhs.net
- Barnet Hospital/Chase Farm Hospital/Edgware Community Hospital
o 020 8216 4885
o rf-tr.barnetlab.helpdesk@nhs.net
The results helplines are open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
For tQuest support enquiries, please email helpdesk@tdlpathology.com
Imaging
Royal Free Hospital
- X-rays: ten days
- Ultrasounds: two days
- Dexa scans: three to four weeks
Barnet Hospital/Chase Farm Hospital/Potters Bar Hospital/Finchley Memorial Hospital/Edgware Community Hospital
- X-rays: ten days
- Ultrasounds: two days
- Dexa scans: one to two weeks
Please ensure that paper referrals include the signature of the referring GP. We are legally unable to accept referrals without a valid signature.
For T-Quest requests a signature is not required.
The patient should be given the t-Quest printout for X-ray requests (this does not require a signature).
If you have any questions about your patient’s results, please contact the radiology teams:
- Royal Free Hospital
o rf.radiologyenquiries @nhs.net - Barnet Hospital/Chase Farm Hospital/Potters Bar Hospital/Finchley Memorial Hospital/Edgware Community Hospital
o rf-tr.bh-radiology @nhs.net
Both mailboxes are monitored Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
If you would like to receive these updates directly, please contact rf.gpliaison@nhs.net with your name, role and practice name. Alternatively, If you do not wish to receive further updates, please do the same stating this.