1. Keep, share, or send — choosing the right door
This course
1 hour of verifiable CPD. Foundation and PLVE dentist set. No lock between modules. GDC Development Outcomes A, C and D. Related: Oral Cancer: Early Detection, Scope of Practice, Working as a Foundation Dentist.
Suggested study time
- What belongs in GDP — 18 min
- Urgency and suspected cancer — 20 min
- The letter and the handover — 17 min
- Knowledge check — 5 min
Referral is a clinical act
You are asking another clinician to take on risk. Dumping a poorly diagnosed toothache on oral surgery because you are running late is not a pathway. Neither is hanging on to a lesion you do not understand because you “do not like bothering the hospital.”
Stay when you can finish safely
Simple restorations, straightforward extractions you can retrieve, periodontal care within your competence, and preventive plans belong in general practice. If Foundation rules or your supervisor say a case is beyond you, that is a reason to use them — or to refer — not to guess.
Share inside the building first
A therapist, hygienist, or your educational supervisor may be the right next person. Internal handovers still need a clear question: “Can you assess this 2.6 for endodontic versus extraction?” not “have a look sometime.”
Send when the skill, setting, or urgency sits elsewhere
Typical examples: suspected malignancy, complex oral medicine, orthodontics outside what you provide, GA / special care, surgical cases you cannot retrieve, hypodontia pathways, and medical conditions that need a physician’s input before dentistry. Local lists differ. Use the current form, not a letter you copied in 2019.