Releases

1. Changes to NHS Care Identity Service (CIS)

This update made changes to how user authenticate with the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS). This means that if users continue to access e-RS via the legacy URL a new page is presented requiring the user to access e-RS via the new URL https://ers.nhs.uk.  This page is display each time a user continues to access the legacy URL, including when the e-RS session times out.

Review our news article to find out how this impacts e-RS users and the actions required.

2. New Chemical Pathology speciality 

To help referrers identify services better a new specialty of ‘Chemical Pathology’ has been added to e-RS to include the following clinic types:

• Metabolic Disorders
• Lipid Disorders
• Renal Metabolic Disorders

View all planned and delivered specialty and clinic type changes.

3.NHS Credential Management (CMA)

Since this release, NHS Credential Management (CMA) is the primary way to communicate with the NHS Identity Agent when authenticating Smartcards.

This change does not impact users and no action is required.

1. Referral Assessment Services (RASs) added to a shortlist 

To support referrers in giving patients greater choice, the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS) has introduced the ability for Referral Assessment Services (RASs) to be added to a shortlist. Referrers (including providers that onward refer via e-RS ) are now able to create a shortlist of services which includes any combination of RASs and bookable services.

Review our news article to find out how this change could impact e-RS users, the actions required and the materials available to support the change.

2. Care Quality Commissioning (CQC) ratings displayed 

To give patients more information to support their choice, web-based e-RS and the Manage Your Referral patient website has been updated to display CQC ratings against services.

Find out more about this change.

3. Electronic method to prompt patients to select their clinic

Patients who have access to the NHS App can now receive notifications reminding them to select a clinic for a new referral that has been created through e-RS.

This notification allows the patient to use the NHS App to easily select an appropriate clinic to manage their healthcare.

All patients continue to receive reminder letters, including when they have not actioned their referral via the NHS App notification. Once the patient has selected their clinic the reminders will cease.

Note: notifications will initially be sent for the first shortlist referral only.

Page updated: 21.02.24

1. Changed the term ‘Gender’ to ‘Sex’

On the service search screen, service definition screen and where a patient gender is referred to, the term ‘Gender’ has been replaced with ‘Sex’ to ensure e-RS is in line with inclusive standards.

This release updated the drop down options to show: 'Male', 'Female', 'Intersex' and 'Not recorded'.

2. New clinic types under Interventional Radiology specialty

To support patients getting earlier diagnosis and treatment, the following new clinic types have been added to e-RS under 'Interventional Radiology' specialty:

• Therapeutic Embolisation
• Not Otherwise Specified

Review all the previous and future specialty and clinic type changes.

3. Format screen change 

When users enter e-RS the previous tab format has been replaced with links.

This change is in preparation for future planned changes.

1. Introduction of the patient email function (non-GP referrers and providers)

Patients are able to receive referral information electronically from non-GP referrers and providers through the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS).

Non-GP referrers and providers, who onward refer after triage or convert an advice and guidance request to a referral, for example, now have the option to send emails to patients with referrals that:

• have a shortlist of services to choose from
• are waiting to be triaged by the providing organisation or service (referral assessment service)
• are waiting for an appointment to be booked by the providing organisation or service (i.e received on their ASI worklist)
• have been booked

Find out more about the changes, and which patients are able to receive email communications.

2. Specialty and clinic type changes

Stroke Medicine Service specialty

This new speciality contains the following clinic types:

• Stroke (not TIA)
• Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA)

Review more details more details about this change and the suggested actions for this new specialty.

Bariatric Surgery clinic type

A new clinic type of 'Bariatric surgery' is available under the 'GI and Liver (Medicine and Surgery)' specialty.

Our users have fed back that this change will make referring into bariatric surgery services easier and will support patients get an early diagnosis and treatment.

3. Changes to allow providers to redirect booked accepted referrals - DNAs

Further to the change introduced in June 2023, which allowed providers to redirect an accepted referral without the need to cancel the referral and manage it outside the e-RS, this allows the action to also be taken on referrals where patients did not attend (DNA) their appointment.

4. e-RS non-supported web browser banner

From this release e-RS users access e-RS using older web browsers are presented with a banner on their e-RS screen.

Where this banner is displayed users will be advised to contact local IT teams.

Once the user’s web browser has been updated to a supported version, the banner will no longer appear.

2024

• Release 13.7 - 19.01.24

2023

Information about previous releases is available on the National Archives website.