If you were referred through the NHS e-Referral Service and have lost the booking reference number or access code, you do not need to guess the details or create a new referral yourself. NHS guidance says you should contact the person or organisation that referred you if you do not have the login information.
The NHS Manage Your Referral service normally uses a booking reference number together with an access code or password. These details allow you to book, check, change or cancel certain referral appointments online.
What details does Manage Your Referral need?
NHS guidance says you normally need your booking reference number and access code/password. Depending on the pathway, NHS login access may also be available.
What is the booking reference number?
The booking reference is unique to the referral created in the NHS e-Referral Service. It is sometimes called the UBRN, or Unique Booking Reference Number.
What is the access code?
The access code or password is provided with the referral booking information. NHS digital guidance describes it as part of the credentials used to access Manage Your Referral.
What should you do if both are missing?
Contact the GP surgery, clinician or organisation that made the referral. The NHS website specifically advises contacting the referrer when you do not have the booking reference or access code.
Can the hospital give you the details?
Sometimes the provider may help with appointment information, but the referring organisation is generally responsible for giving you the e-Referral login details. If the hospital tells you to contact the GP, ask the GP surgery for the referral booking information rather than asking for a completely new referral.
Can you use the NHS App instead?
You may be able to book or manage some referrals through the NHS App or NHS account. Availability depends on how the referral was created and connected to your NHS login.
BetterCare’s NHS App guide explains the broader appointment and record functions.
What if the referral is visible in the NHS App?
If the referral appears and offers a manage or booking option, use that route. If it shows limited information or no action button, contact the referrer or provider.
What if the referral has disappeared?
If it previously appeared and is now missing, do not assume it was cancelled. BetterCare’s referral disappeared from NHS App guide explains what to check.
What if your GP says the referral was sent?
Ask whether it was sent through e-RS and whether the surgery can provide the booking reference and access code. Also ask whether the referral is awaiting triage, deferred to provider or ready for booking.
What if there are no appointment slots?
Lack of available slots is different from missing login details. Some referrals may be deferred to the provider to arrange later. BetterCare’s referral received but no appointment guide covers that situation.
Can you call instead of booking online?
Depending on the referral, telephone booking support may be available. The referral letter or booking information should explain the options.
Do not share the access code publicly
Treat the booking reference and access code as private referral information. Do not post screenshots containing them on social media or public forums.
What if you changed email or phone number?
Update your contact details with the GP surgery and relevant provider. Out-of-date details can interfere with appointment messages and digital access.
What if the GP cannot find the referral?
Ask whether the referral was completed and sent, or whether it remains incomplete in the clinical system. A referral that was discussed but never fully submitted is different from one that was accepted by e-RS.
What if the referral was urgent?
Urgent and suspected-cancer pathways may be booked or managed differently. Do not delay contacting the referrer if you are missing essential details for an urgent referral.
What if the booking deadline has passed?
Contact the referrer or provider immediately. Do not assume the referral is automatically lost. Ask what the current status is and what action is required now.
What if you accidentally cancelled the referral?
Contact the referrer promptly. Whether the referral can be restored or must be recreated depends on its current status.
Keep the new details somewhere safe
Once you receive the booking reference and access code again, store them in a secure note, email folder or care folder. Avoid keeping the only copy on a scrap of paper.
Use a simple referral record
Write down the referral date, specialty, hospital or service, booking reference, appointment date and contact numbers. BetterCare’s waiting-list tracking guide shows what else can be useful.
Lost details versus rejected referral
Missing login information does not mean the referral was rejected. If the hospital actually returned or rejected it, BetterCare’s rejected referral guide explains the next steps.
Lost details versus closed referral
If you are told the referral is closed rather than simply inaccessible, use BetterCare’s closed referral guide to work out what happened.
A simple recovery checklist
- Check the NHS App or NHS account.
- Search your email, messages and referral letters.
- Contact the GP or original referrer.
- Ask specifically for the booking reference and access code.
- Confirm the referral status at the same time.
- Store the recovered details securely.
The main point
Losing your e-Referral booking details is an access problem, not necessarily a referral problem. Recover the credentials from the referring organisation and confirm the referral status before assuming you need to start again.
What the NHS says to do if you do not have the details
The official NHS e-Referral booking page states that you need the booking reference number and password or access code, and advises contacting the person or organisation that referred you if you do not have them.
Where the details may be stored
Check appointment request letters, GP text messages, emails, printed referral paperwork and your NHS account. Some practices provide the details electronically rather than on paper.
What if you remember only the booking reference?
Contact the referrer and ask for the missing access code or password. Do not try random codes repeatedly.
What if you remember only the access code?
You still need the booking reference for standard Manage Your Referral access. Ask the referrer for the UBRN or booking reference linked to the referral.
What if you cannot prove which referral you mean?
Give the GP surgery the approximate referral date, specialty and hospital or service if known. This helps staff identify the correct referral when several exist.
What if the referral was created by a dentist, optometrist or another service?
Contact the organisation that actually created the referral. The “referrer” is not always your GP.
What if the GP reception team says they cannot see the access code?
Ask whether the referral can be checked by the referrals team, secretary or clinician who submitted it. Practice workflows differ, and the first person answering the phone may not have access to every referral screen.
What if Manage Your Referral says the details are invalid?
Check for typing errors, then contact the referrer to confirm that the reference and code still match an active referral. Invalid login details can also indicate that the referral status has changed.
What if you have more than one referral?
Each e-RS referral can have its own booking reference. Label the specialty beside each number so you do not mix cardiology, dermatology or another referral together.
How to store the details securely
Keep them in a password-protected note, secure email folder or physical care folder. Avoid screenshots that are automatically shared to cloud photo albums accessible by other people unless you are comfortable with that privacy risk.
What if you need help using the online system?
Ask the GP practice or booking service what telephone support is available. Digital access should not force you to manage a referral entirely online if you need assistance.
A practical example
You were referred by your GP and remember receiving a letter but cannot find it. You check the NHS App, then call the surgery and ask for the booking reference and access code for the gastroenterology referral sent on the approximate date. You also ask whether the referral is still active before ending the call.
Another practical example
You have the correct UBRN but the website will not accept the code. Rather than requesting a new referral, you ask the referring practice to confirm the current status and credentials.
What if you are helping a relative manage the referral?
Do not assume the GP or hospital can discuss the referral with you automatically. The patient may need to give consent or the service may need evidence that you are authorised to act for them. Keep that authority separate from the booking reference itself.
What if the details were sent to an old phone number?
Update the contact details with the GP surgery and ask whether the referral information can be reissued. Also check whether the hospital has a different phone number on file, especially if you moved or changed numbers recently.
What if you are worried the referral was never completed?
Ask the practice to confirm whether the e-RS referral was fully submitted rather than only drafted. NHS digital guidance distinguishes completed referrals from incomplete referral records, so asking this directly can avoid weeks of uncertainty.
What to write down when you call
Record the date, who you spoke to, the specialty, the booking reference, the access code if reissued, and the current referral status. If the referral is still waiting for provider action, note that too.
When to escalate beyond login problems
If you recover the credentials but discover the referral is rejected, closed or still has no appointment, switch to the appropriate next-step guide rather than continuing to troubleshoot login details.
Reviewed: September 2026. General NHS e-Referral navigation information.
