Clinical Handover, Referral and Discharge Templates for NHS Doctors

Practical SBAR handover scripts, referral templates, discharge summary guidance and communication checklists for NHS doctors.

Clear clinical communication is one of the most important skills in NHS practice.

Whether you are handing over a sick patient, calling a specialty, documenting senior advice or writing a discharge summary, your communication needs to be clear, structured and safe.

The Clinical Handover, Referral and Discharge Templates for NHS Doctors pack gives you practical templates and scripts that you can adapt to real clinical situations.

It is designed to help international doctors understand the structure and language commonly expected in NHS clinical communication.

What’s included:

• SBAR handover template
• Urgent handover script
• Routine ward handover template
• Specialty referral call script
• Referral preparation checklist
• Discharge summary structure guide
• GP action request wording examples
• Escalation note template
• Telephone advice documentation template
• Relative update note structure
• Clinical communication quality checklist

Who this is for:

This resource is for international doctors working in, or preparing to work in, NHS clinical roles.

It is especially useful if you want more confidence with handover, referrals, discharge summaries, escalation documentation and everyday professional communication.

Educational note:

These templates are for educational preparation only. They must always be adapted to the clinical situation, local Trust policy and senior clinical advice.