There are two ways to access the Exercise Referral Service – via referral from a health professional, or by referring yourself.
Before exploring the need for a referral to the service, read about our Exercise Referral Service sessions to help you decide which service and activities you want to access.
Referrals from health professionals
You will need to be referred to the service if you are at a higher risk from exercising because of a health condition.
Read the list of referral criteria [PDF, 0.3MB] to check whether you need a health professional to refer you.
If you want to access classes provided by Better, which includes gym-based independent exercise, the Healthwise inclusion criteria [PDF, 0.2MB] explain eligibility and whether you need a referral.
If you need a health professional referral to either Better or Healthy You Plus classes, you can get it from your:
- doctor
- nurse (all specialisms)
- dietician
- occupational therapist
- physiotherapist
They can download and complete our form from their online clinical systems.
We regret that we cannot accept referrals made by non-clinical professionals or assistant clinical professionals.
Previous cardiac events or heart disease
If you have had a previous cardiac event or procedure or have heart disease, your risk of exercising is likely to be higher. It’s important that you are screened appropriately and directed to services delivered by specialist instructors.
It is therefore likely that we will need more specific information about your health before you can engage in the activities. We might need a member of your cardiology team or your doctor to complete a specific cardiac referral form.
Contact us for further information about this.
Checking your eligibility for self-referral
You may be able to refer yourself to the service if exercise would be low to medium risk for you and you wish to access the Healthy You Plus classes.
To help identify whether self-referral is appropriate for you, please complete our triage form. Your answers will help us identify the most suitable support and activities for your needs.
It’s important to answer all questions honestly so we can help you access the most appropriate services and activities.
We can also send you further information about the recommended support and activities. Please check the relevant box on the form if you would like us to do this.
Contact us if you need help to complete the form.
Information for health professionals
The general referral form and cardiac history referral form are available on SystmOne and EMIS.
If you would like to hear more about the Exercise Referral Service, you can register to receive our newsletter. Our Professionals Update will be sent to you no more than once per month, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Please help us to spread the word about the service by displaying and circulating our promotional materials. We can provide posters, leaflets, digital slides and social media posts – contact us if you want us to send you some.
