Professionals: Occupational therapy referrals for adults

This process is for professionals to request an occupational therapy assessment for an adult over 18 if they find it difficult to manage day-to-day activities at home due to a physical, mental or sensory impairment, illness or old age.

Before making a referral

Things we cannot help with

Do not submit a referral for any of the following, as we cannot offer help in these areas:

wheelchairs, walking aids and problems with mobility, including falls - please refer to 'help with mobility' for appropriate contacts.
profiling beds, pressure mattresses, cushions or bed rails - please ask the patient's district nurse for these, or contact their GP for a referral.
repairs and lift breakdowns - please refer to 'equipment repairs' for appropriate contacts.

However, if the patient has a wheelchair or mobility aid and struggles to get in or out of their home or move around inside it, you can request an assessment.

Find out more about OT and the services we provide.

Things we need to know

When you request an assessment, you will need to tell us:

personal details of the person you are referring, such as name, address, date of birth, NHS number and contact information
details of any existing equipment or adaptations in place
whether you have the person's consent to share their information, and if not, why
if you have any safeguarding concerns
property details such as access, accommodation type and tenant/ownership status
details of care needs
medical details such as height, weight, conditions, medication and mobility
GP details

Request an OT assessment

You can submit a referral online if you are:

a therapist that can prescribe core stock, bathing equipment and/or minor adaptations
a GP, health care worker or other professional

If you don’t already have an online social care portal account, you must register first before submitting a referral.

As part of the registration process, we will send a security authentication code to your email address – we will do this each time you sign in.
Once registered, you can complete a referral, or save and come back to it.
Once you have an account you can use the same sign in details to submit other professional referral forms via the portal.

Read our privacy notice which tells you how we use your data

What happens next?

We will call you, or the person you have referred, to discuss their needs over the phone within 40 working days. We might be able to agree solutions and actions at that point.

If further support is needed, we'll place the person on our waiting list for a home or virtual assessment - this could take up to six months. If needs are urgent we will prioritise the assessment, with the highest priority given to people with complex or life-limiting health conditions.

There is no charge for assessments or advice. Equipment, specialist equipment and minor adaptations are free, but the person may need to pay for others. This will be determined by a financial assessment, if needed.