What to put in an OT referral so it isn’t sent back
What an occupational therapist needs on day one, what slows a referral down, and what happens after you send it.
Most referrals that stall do not stall because the person is not eligible. They stall because something small is missing and the file sits waiting on an email. Here is what an OT actually needs up front, in the order it matters.
The four things that must be there
1. Who is being referred, and how to reach them
Name, date of birth, address where the assessment will happen, and a phone number that gets answered. If the participant is better reached through a support worker, family member or nominee, say so and give that contact instead: that single line saves days of unanswered calls.
2. The funding pathway, named
NDIS, My Aged Care, insurance or private. For NDIS, include the participant number, the plan dates, and how the plan is managed. Fund management is the detail that gets missed most often, and it decides whether we can invoice at all.
Self-managed and plan-managed referrals are welcome here. If a plan is NDIA-managed, check the provider is registered before sending: that one question avoids a decline weeks later.
3. What you actually want out of it
“OT assessment” is not a referral question. “Can she keep showering safely at home, and what would it take?” is. The clearer the decision the report has to support, the more useful the report is. If you are after a functional capacity assessment, a piece of assistive technology, or a home modification, say which. They are different pieces of work with different evidence requirements.
4. Consent
Consent to receive the referral and to share information with the people who need it. Without it the first appointment gets spent collecting paperwork.
What slows a referral down
- No plan dates. A plan ending in six weeks changes what is realistic and what should be prioritised.
- No context. Diagnoses matter far less than what has changed recently. A fall, a discharge, a new wheelchair that does not fit: that is the useful history.
- Reports that already exist, not attached. A previous OT report, hospital discharge summary or equipment script saves repeating assessment the participant has already sat through.
- Access details left out. Stairs, no parking, dogs, a locked gate, a long unsealed driveway. Country properties in particular.
- Interpreter needs not flagged. These have to be booked in advance.
What happens after you send it
Referrals here are read by a therapist rather than triaged by a form. If we are not the right service, or cannot get to the area inside a sensible window, we say so early instead of adding someone to a list. If we are the right service, you get a scheduled visit rather than a queue position.
We acknowledge every referral within 24 hours on a business day. How soon the first visit follows depends on the area, and the current wait is published on each location page rather than quoted here as a general figure that would go stale.
The referral form asks for everything above in order, so working through it is the fastest route.
Common questions
Do I need a GP referral for an NDIS OT assessment?
No. NDIS participants can engage an occupational therapist directly if their plan has the relevant support funded. A GP referral is required for some other pathways, such as Medicare care plans.
Can I refer someone who lives outside Adelaide?
Yes. Country travel is built into how the practice runs rather than treated as an exception. See where we work for the areas covered.
What if I am not sure which assessment to ask for?
Describe the decision you need to make and let the therapist name the assessment. Getting this wrong on the referral is easy to correct; getting it wrong in the report is not.