How Psychology Practices Should Word a Referral Letter Back to the Client's GP

Here's an under-used piece of relationship-building 💖: the letter back to a referring GP. Many practices only send one if legally required or if something significant has changed, treating it as a formality. GPs, meanwhile, consistently say the psychologists they refer to most are the ones who actually close the loop — it's one of the clearest, most controllable levers for growing GP referrals.

What Most Practices Get Wrong

The common mistake is inconsistency — some referring GPs hear back, most don't, and there's no standard process ensuring every referral gets acknowledged with at least a brief update. From the GP's side, silence reads as the referral disappearing into a black hole, which quietly discourages them from referring again.

The Mechanics: Consent and Consistency

Confirm client consent to communicate with their GP at intake, as standard practice, so this doesn't need to be re-negotiated for every letter. Build a simple template so sending a brief acknowledgement letter takes minutes, not a rewritten letter each time.

Mistakes to Avoid

• Only writing to the GP when something has gone wrong or changed significantly
• Including more clinical detail than is genuinely useful or appropriate to share
• Leaving consent to communicate with the GP undocumented
• Letting acknowledgement letters lag weeks behind the first session

Frequently asked questions

Is a GP acknowledgement letter always required?

Requirements vary by referral pathway (e.g. Mental Health Treatment Plan reviews may have specific expectations) — check what applies to each referral type.

How much clinical detail should be shared?

Enough to be clinically useful to the GP's ongoing care of the client, and no more — client consent and privacy considerations should guide the level of detail.

Should this be a form letter or personalised each time?

A consistent structure with personalised content works best — a fully generic form letter can read as impersonal to both the GP and the client whose file it becomes part of.

Does this help with more referrals, or is that overstating it?

It's one factor among several, but GPs consistently cite communication as a reason they favour certain practices — it's a genuine, if modest, lever rather than a guaranteed outcome.

Keep reading 🤍

• How to Write a New Client Intake Form for Psychology Practices in Plain English
• Designing a Waitlist System for Psychology Practices That Doesn't Lose Referrals
• Explaining Medicare Rebate Cap Changes to Psychology Clients Without Causing Panic