NHS e-Referrals API Service

Further to the messaging detailed in this section, the NHS e-Referrals programme is enhancing the integration to the NHS e-Referrals Service with the use of Application Programme Interfaces (APIs). The NHS e-Referrals API Service is intended for use by staff working at referring and provider sites to use the NHS e-Referral functionality in more integrated way with their current GP or Provider system.

There is a suite of APIs that provide different levels of integration. The current functionality available through these APIs is published here. Further information on integration using the APIs is available at https://developer.nhs.uk/apis/

Background of NHS e-Referrals Service

In 2003, the National Programme for IT (NPfIT) procured an electronic booking system (eBS) which was rebranded as Choose and Book (CaB) in 2005 as the system was developed to enable patient hospital choice. The contract was awarded to Atos Origin and the software was based on Cerner Corporation’s Millennium e-Booking software. Choose and Book was an e-Booking software application for the National Health Service (NHS) in England which enabled patients needing an outpatient appointment to choose which hospital they were referred to by their general practitioner (GP), and to book a convenient date and time for their appointment.

Choose and Book was replaced by the NHS e-Referral Service in June 2015 and although this was fundamentally a like for like replacement with regards to existing external system integration, it has enabled a more agile approach to developing the software and enhancements to integration with external systems with the use of new Application Programming Interfaces (APIs).