This page is intended for use by clinicians at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham as a guideline for referring patients to the Neurology team.
How to refer
If a patient needs input from the Neurology team, please refer via the following methods:
Emergency
If you suspect the patient has a neurological emergency:
- Monday to Sunday, 24 hours a day: call Neurology SpR on-call via Switchboard
- Complete a PICS referral (Requests > Neurology Referral)
- For a patient with a suspected stroke, please call the stroke nurses (Monday to Sunday, 24 hours a day)
Urgent referrals
Referrals should only be made after discussion with registrar or consultant.
Consider if a more suitable pathway exists for the presenting problem by reviewing the information in the 'sub-speciality referrals' section.
Monday to Sunday, 09:00-17:00
- Refer via PICS
- The patient will be reviewed within normal working hours on the same day or the following day
Monday to Sunday, 17:00-09:00
- Refer via PICS
- If admitted, the patient will be reviewed within normal working hours the following day
- If you feel the patient could go home and would benefit from being seen in the neurology hot clinic, please book the patient into clinic by speaking to the MSDEC or ED ward clerks. If there is no availability in two weeks, please speak with the Neurology SpR
Please refer to the 'How to make a good Neurology referral' section when completing a referral:
Non-urgent referrals
If you are discharging a patient with a chronic neurological condition who is known to the Neurology team (epilepsy, MS, neuromuscular disorder, headaches or etc.) and you feel they would benefit from further review as an outpatient, please refer the patient directly to the CNS team and named consultant.
Sub-speciality referrals and investigations
Seizures
If the patient is known to the Epilepsy team, consider if the issue can be resolved by contact with CNS team at the relevant site:
Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham
Good Hope, Heartlands and Solihull hospitals
First seizure presentation, all patients presenting with a suspected seizure need investigation for any provoking factors:
- Strokes
- Infection
- Toxins
- Metabolites
If the patient is deemed safe for discharge, refer them to the First Seizure Clinic via a PICS referral (Requests > First Seizure Referral UHB).
Ensure Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) advice is given to patients:
Please advise the patient that if there was a known witness to the seizure, they must be available to talk to during the clinic.
Headaches
Most chronic headaches can be effectively managed in the community under GP led care.
There are also the following pathways to follow:
Parkinson's disease (PD) and tremor
If the patient is known to the PD team, consider if the issue can be managed by the PD CNS team and make direct contact with them.
More information
Detailed referral information is available on the Neurology referrals page.
Last reviewed: 04 December 2025