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Writing Samples
Band 8

write a referral letter to a psychologist

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I am writing to transfer Mr. Michael Anderson, a 30-year-old patient with acute suicidal ideation, who requires your urgent assessment and evaluation. Mr. Anderson was brought to our hospital by his roommate. He has been increasingly anxious and agitated for the past two weeks.
This
Linking Words
 morning, before arriving at the Emergency Department (ED), he started to express suicidal thoughts, feelings of hopelessness, and overwhelming life circumstances. He has been suffering from generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder for several years. He has been treated with sertraline 100 mg daily and lorazepam 1 mg as needed. During the
last
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 24 hours, severe restlessness and anxiety have forced him to take two tablets. He does not have any history of substance abuse. He is physically healthy, and his
last
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 evaluation in the ED, including a full examination and blood tests,
were
Correct subject-verb agreement
was
show examples
 within normal limits. Given the severity of the patient’s symptoms and the risk of self-harm, he was admitted immediately for stabilization and intensive treatment. He is being transferred by ambulance with a psychiatric escort and a psychiatric nurse from the ED for your consultation. I would appreciate it if you could see him urgently for
further
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 treatment and management. Yours sincerely,

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content
Ensure that all relevant medical information is included, such as past medications and treatments, as it can further help in the assessment.
accuracy
Double-check the patient's details to avoid any possible errors in personal and medical information.
organization
The logical structure of the letter is clear and well-organized, making it easy to follow.
formatting
The greeting and closing are appropriately formatted and enhance the professionalism of the letter.
clarity
Each paragraph effectively focuses on a single idea, aiding in the clarity of the message.
completeness
The letter provides a complete response to the task, detailing the patient's condition and the need for urgent assessment.
tone
The writing tone is suitable for a formal and professional referral letter, maintaining a respectful and urgent tone throughout.

The Greeting

Depending on the style and aim of the letter, you will need to adapt your greeting.

Always start an informal letter in the ways:

  • Dear + name
  • Hi / Hello + name

‘Dear...’ is more appropriate, so stick with this.

For a formal letter there are two options for the greeting:

  • Use Dear Sir or Madam if you don’t know the name of the person you are writing to.
  • Use Dear + surname if you do know their name, e.g. Dear Mr Smith or Dear Mrs Jones.

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