Nerve root pain

Referral urgency

Referrals to the MSK Sheffield Service

Routine: 

All non emergency/non 2 week wait spinal referrals should be sent electronically via the Electronic Referral System (ERS) using the directory of ‘Physiotherapy – MSK – MSK Sheffield Spines’, using the MSK Referral Form. All referrals will be triaged by a Consultant and/or a Senior Therapist to direct the patient to the right service.

Urgent MSK referrals: 

Please use ERS but ensure staff mark as urgent on the system so it is triaged in a timely manner.  Urgent rehabilitation needs include severe pains that require prompt input to avoid unhelpful avoidance, excessive fear to get moving and an inability to work or perform caring roles.  Urgent orthopaedic, rheumatology, and Physioworks referrals can be sent through ERS but if in doubt consider contacting the on call reg if there is any chance the issue is more immediate/an emergency case.  ERS is not an on-call system so referrals will sit there for many hours, days, or if labelled routine even longer at times.

Urgent/emergency referrals only

Orthopaedic

Immediate – Cord compression or Cauda Equina Syndrome:

• spinalreferback.co.uk
• Telephone spinal secretary 8 till 5 mon to fri
• On call registrar out of hours and weekend – via switchboard

Urgent:

• Back pain with red flag 
• Following results of tests
• Faxed letter for urgent clinic review

Referral contacts

• Orthopaedic Spinal Secretary
  T: 0114 271 5244
• Orthopaedic Registrar on call
  0114 243 4343 (This is the NGH switch board – Please ask for the Spinal Registrar on-call)
• Urgent on-line referrals: spinalreferback.co.uk

Neurosurgery

• For immediate referral – cauda equina syndrome, acute spinal cord compression:
• Online referral referapatient.org/refer-a-patient
• Bleep On-call Registrar – 0114 271 1900 (This is the RHH switch board – Please ask for the Neurosurgery Registrar on-call)

Forms

• MSK Referral Form
• local STarT Back form