PRSB standards for digital outpatient letters allow clinical information to be recorded, exchanged and accessed consistently across care settings. Best practice for most outpatient letters is writing directly to patients.

Due to the rise in the number of specialist services delivered out of hospitals, well-structured outpatient letters have become increasingly important to provide good care. Outpatient letters are the main method of contact and communication between hospital staff and GPs, and are often the sole record of the consultation held by the outpatient department and hospital.

The PRSB standard for outpatient letters is designed to improve and standardise the content of outpatient letters so that professionals, patients and carers receive consistent, reliable, high quality information between clinicians and patients.

Watch the film

Freeman Hospital renal consultant, Dr Ian Logan, explains how the outpatient letter standard has benefited his patients who receive regular kidney dialysis.

This standard has been endorsed by:

• British and Irish Orthoptic Society
• British Psychological Society
• Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
• Institute of Health Records and Information Managers (IHRIM)
• Resuscitation Council UK
• Royal College of General Practitioners
• Royal College of Midwives
• Royal College of Nursing
• Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
• Royal College of Occupational Therapists
• Royal College of Physicians
• Royal College of Psychiatrists
• Royal College of Radiologists (Faculty of Clinical Oncology)
• Royal Pharmaceutical Society
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