Self-Referral Hub

• Age-related hearing services, which are provided via the Any Qualified Providers (AQP) model.  
• To make a self-referral to audiology services patients will need to refer to their local audiology provider's policy. Information for patients on making a referral can be found below.  
• The local Providers are North Tees and Hartlepool NHS FT (NTHFT), County Durham and Darlington NHS FT, Outside Clinic, Minor Ops, Specsavers, and Scrivens. 
• Patients should be made aware that self-referral is only available to patients who meet the current criteria for audiology referrals from GPs. 

Specsavers 

Patients can call or visit stores in person. The patient will then be triaged by staff for eligibility into the service. Patients can call stores at the following locations: 

• Stockton Specsavers, 49-51 Wellington Square, Stockton-on-Tees, UK, TS18 1RG Telephone: 01642 037780 
• Middlesbrough Specsavers, 25/27 Newport Road, Middlesbrough, Cleveland, UK, TS1 1LE Telephone: 01642 036045  
• Hartlepool Specsavers, Unit 136, Middleton Grange Shopping Centre, Hartlepool, Cleveland, UK, TS24 7RD Telephone: 01429 705024 
• Darlington Specsavers, 41 High Row, Darlington, County Durham, UK, DL3 7QW Telephone: 01325 968150 
• Redcar Specsavers, 57 High Street, Redcar, Cleveland, UK, TS10 3BZ Telephone: 01642 037576 
• Scrivens
  • Patients can call Scrivens to book an appointment via telephone 0800 027 5102. This number will direct patients to the scrivens Customer Services Team who will then direct patients accordingly into the service. 
  • Patients who struggle with telephone contact can email customercare@scrivens.com to self-refer, or visit www.scrivens.com to book an appointment online. 
• Minor Ops 
  • Patients can self-refer to Minor Ops via telephone and email booking. Patients should call 0191 9178886 or email hearingcare@minor-ops.co.uk  
• Outside Clinic
  • Patients can self-refer to the Outside Clinic via telephone booking. Patients should call 0800 954 9093 to be registered, after which they will receive a call from the Audiology Advisor Team to be triaged over the phone. 
• North Tees Hospitals Audiology
  • The North Tees and Hartlepool Hospitals are currently not accepting self-referrals. We are working to improve this pathway to give patients the choice to self-refer to the service in the near future. 
• County Durham and Darlington Hospitals Audiology
  • The audiology service at County Durham and Darlington Hospitals is currently not accepting self-referrals. This is an ongoing discussion, and we will share further information on how to access self-referral at CDDFT Audiology shortly. 

The Tees Community Equipment Services (TCES) will also be self-referral enabled, and further communications will be distributed in the coming weeks to outline the correct process. We are working with the Service and Integrated Single Point of Access leads to enable patients to have access to a health or social care professional, who can then perform an assessment and order equipment directly with the Service. 

• Patients are now able to self-referral directly for triage and assessment with the North Tees MSK Service. To do so, patients should be guided to visit the website at https://www.nth.nhs.uk/services/imsk-advanced-assessment/ and click "Online referral form" and fill out the online form.  
• (The form can be reached directly at https://www.nth.nhs.uk/services/imsk-advanced-assessment/ but patients are encouraged to read the information on the previous link prior to submitting a referral). 
• Patients that cannot access the website can phone the Specialist Services Admin Hub on 01429 522471 and press Option 1 between the hours 8:30am to 4:30pm Monday to Friday. 
• iMSK Physiotherapy can be reached at https://www.nth.nhs.uk/services/imsk-physiotherapy/

• Patients can self-refer into the Podiatry Service online at: https://www.nth.nhs.uk/services/podiatric-surgery/ and click "Online self-referral". 
• Patients that cannot access the website can phone the Specialist Services Admin Hub on 01429 522471 and press Option 1 between the hours 8:30am to 4:30pm Monday to Friday.

NHS North Cumbria Talking Therapies is the new name for First Step and has been changed as part of a national rebrand. It offers the same effective psychological therapies for mild to moderate depression and anxiety disorders (e.g. Phobias, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Panic Disorder, Social Anxiety, Generalised Anxiety Disorder, Health Anxiety, Body Dysmorphic Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Disorders).

North Cumbria Talking Therapies warmly welcomes students, adults over 18 of all genders, sexual orientations and ethnicities, as well as people with a learning disability or difference, and/or autism.

Our practitioners will listen to your experience and work with you to understand how you have been feeling. Together we will decide what sort of help might work best for you.

You can find more information here or alternatively, you can call on 0300 123 9122.

Weight Management (Lite4Life or Energise) is a 12 week group programme that educates, supports and promotes sustainable lifestyle changes. Participants will learn about diet and physical activity to enable them to change their lifestyle and improve their overall health and wellbeing. The programme includes a 10-week activity pass giving access to gyms, swimming and fitness classes across the Tees Active venues. Adults meeting the eligibility criteria (including BMI 30+, or BMI 25+ with comorbidities) can access the programme free of charge.

An individual who satisfies all the following eligibility criteria (and none of the exclusion criteria) is eligible to access the Tier 2 Adult Weight Management Service:

Eligibility Criteria:
• Aged sixteen years or over
• Resident, or registered with a GP practice, in Stockton-on-Tees
• BMI 25+ with controlled comorbidities (23+ for people of Black African, African-Caribbean and Asian origin) via referral from a healthcare professional
• BMI 30+ (27.5+ for people of Black African, African-Caribbean and Asian origin) via referral from a healthcare professional or self-referral
• Motivated and ready to make lifestyle changes

Exclusion Criteria:
• An individual who does not meet the eligibility criteria as defined in inclusion criteria
• Severe/moderate frailty as recorded on a frailty register
• Is pregnant
• Has an eating disorder
• Has a significant unmanaged co-morbidity (unmanaged meaning not on medication and/or not subject to regular clinical review or have not completed a current active management programme. Where there are any concerns that this might be the case, the individual's GP will be consulted before commencement of the programme)
• Has had bariatric surgery in the last two years
• Has type 1 diabetes / newly diagnosed diabetes and has had no clinical input
• Has profound and multiple learning disabilities (unless actively supported by their Clinician or Carer)
• Has learning disabilities and demonstrates behaviours that challenge (unless actively supported by their Clinician or Carer)
• Mental health or learning disabilities in-patients (unless actively supported by a member of in-patient staff)
• Has an underlying medical cause for obesity and would benefit from more intensive clinical management than a tier 2 service
• Head and neck cancer patients unless explicitly supported by their Consultant Oncologist

Click here for more information including referrals. 

• Patients aged 18 and over can now self-refer for assessment into the North Tees Hospitals Wheelchair Service via webform on the North Tees Trust website https://www.nth.nhs.uk/services/wheelchair-services/wheelchair-self-referral-form/ 
• Telephone referrals are not appropriate for this service, and as such patients are encouraged to use the webform which will guide users for taking measurements for wheelchairs. 
• Patients will be able to watch a short video explaining how to make measurements for a wheelchair to aid in getting appropriate equipment to suit each patient's needs. This video is still pending recording and uploading to the Trust website.