When you'll write one
A transfer is set when a patient moves between services, for example from an acute ward to rehabilitation, an aged care home or another hospital. The reader is usually the professional who will be responsible for the patient on arrival.
Usual readers: rehabilitation unit physiotherapist, aged care nurse unit manager, receiving ward nurse, consultant at another hospital, community care coordinator. Purpose verbs: transfer the care of, hand over, request continuation of, request that you continue, inform you of the transfer of.
Structure
| Paragraph | Content | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| 1 · Purpose | Patient, receiving facility, transfer date and the reason for transfer. | Use 'transfer', not 'refer': the reader needs to know they are taking over care. |
| 2 · Diagnosis and precautions | What happened, what was done, and any restrictions the new team must follow. | Precautions are safety information; state them precisely, with how long they apply. |
| 3 · Current status | Today's function, observations and issues still being managed. | Describe the level of assistance in measurable terms: one assist, 20 metres, with a frame. |
| 4 · Goals and requests | The patient's previous level, goal, the care you want continued, and family needs. | Connect your request to the patient's own goal; it shows purpose and relevance. |
Template (a structure, not sentences to memorise)
[Recipient name, title, address as given] [Today's date from the notes] Dear [title surname], Re: [patient full name], [DOB or age] [Transfer verb] + [patient] + [age] + who will [move to / be admitted to] [facility] on [date] following [reason]. [Event and date] + [procedure] + [precautions / restrictions and duration] + [relevant history]. [Current function with measurable detail] + [observations or issues being managed] + [what the patient does independently]. [Previous level] + [home situation] + [specific care to continue] + [patient goal] + [family needs]. Yours sincerely, [Your role]
Sample transfer letter (Physiotherapy)
Case: An acute hospital physiotherapist is handing over an 82-year-old man who had a hip hemiarthroplasty after a fall. The reader is the physiotherapist at the rehabilitation unit he moves to tomorrow.
Case notes (16 lines)
- Mr Kenneth Fairweather, DOB 30/01/1944 (82 yrs)
- 16/10/26: tripped on rug at home → R displaced intracapsular NOF fracture
- 17/10/26: R hip hemiarthroplasty, posterior approach; WBAT
- Posterior hip precautions x 6 wks
- PMHx: T2DM (diet-controlled); mild COPD; bilateral cataract surgery 2022
- Pre-morbid: walked with stick; drove locally
- Lives with wife (80), single-storey house, 3 steps at entry with rail on L
- Now: sit-to-stand 1 assist; walks 20 m with 4-wheeled frame + supervision; stairs not attempted
- Pain 3/10 at rest, 6/10 walking; analgesia 30 min before physio
- Day 2: postural dizziness (BP 130/80 → 105/65), resolved
- SpO2 ↓ to 91% on exertion (baseline 94%), recovers with rest
- Independent with bed exercise programme
- Pt goal: return home, walk to local shops
- Wife anxious about managing at home
- Follows local football team; enjoys gardening
- Transfer to Glenhaven Rehabilitation Centre 23/10/26
Task: Using the information in the case notes, write a letter to Ms Olivia Brandt, Senior Physiotherapist, Glenhaven Rehabilitation Centre, 5 Mill Lane, Glenhaven, handing over Mr Fairweather's physiotherapy care.
Ms Olivia Brandt
Senior Physiotherapist
Glenhaven Rehabilitation Centre
5 Mill Lane
Glenhaven
22 October 2026
Dear Ms Brandt,
Re: Mr Kenneth Fairweather, DOB 30/01/1944
I am writing to transfer the physiotherapy care1 of Mr Fairweather, 82, who will be admitted to your unit tomorrow following a right hip hemiarthroplasty.
Mr Fairweather fractured his right femoral neck in a fall on 16 October and had surgery via a posterior approach the next day. He may bear weight as tolerated but must follow posterior hip precautions for six weeks2. He also has mild chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
He needs the assistance of one person to stand and walks 20 metres with a four-wheeled frame under supervision3; stairs have not yet been attempted. His pain is 6/10 when walking, and he takes analgesia 30 minutes before therapy. His oxygen saturation falls to 91% on exertion but recovers with rest4, and postural dizziness on day two has resolved.
Before the fall, he walked with a stick; he lives with his wife in a single-storey house with three entry steps and a left-hand rail. I would be grateful if you could continue his gait and strengthening programme, including stair practice, so that he can achieve his goal of walking to the local shops5. His wife is anxious about his return and may benefit from joining discharge planning.
Yours sincerely,
[Name]
Physiotherapist
Body: 198 words
Why it works
- “I am writing to transfer the physiotherapy care”: Purpose: 'transfer' tells the reader she now takes over, which 'refer' would not.
- “must follow posterior hip precautions for six weeks”: Content: a safety restriction with its duration, which the new team needs before the first session.
- “walks 20 metres with a four-wheeled frame under supervision”: Content: measurable function gives the receiving physiotherapist a clear starting point.
- “His oxygen saturation falls to 91% on exertion but recovers with rest”: Genre and style: oxygen saturation written out for clarity, stated objectively without alarm.
- “so that he can achieve his goal of walking to the local shops”: Purpose expanded: the request is linked to the patient's own goal, making it specific.
What it leaves out, and why
| Case note | Why it's left out or compressed |
|---|---|
| Follows local football team; enjoys gardening | Personal interests that do not change his rehabilitation plan. |
| PMHx: T2DM (diet-controlled); mild COPD; bilateral cataract surgery 2022 | Kept COPD (affects exercise); diet-controlled diabetes and old cataracts do not. |
| Independent with bed exercise programme | Lower priority than walking and stairs; easily reassessed on arrival. |
| Pre-morbid: walked with stick; drove locally | Kept the stick; driving is months away and not this reader's task. |
Useful phrases (adapt, don't copy)
Opening
- I am writing to transfer the care of [patient], [age], who will be admitted to [facility] on [date] following [reason].
- [Patient] is being transferred to your unit [today / tomorrow], and I would be grateful if you could continue [care].
- I am writing to hand over the care of [patient], who moves to [facility] on [date].
Linking
- [She / He] currently requires …
- Precautions remain in place until …
- Before [the event], [she / he] …
- [Issue] has now resolved, but …
Closing
- I would be grateful if you could continue [programme], with a focus on [goal-related task].
- [Patient]'s goal is to [goal], so [specific request].
- [Family member] may benefit from [involvement / information] about …
- Please contact me if you would like further details of [her / his] progress.
Mistakes to avoid in a transfer letter
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Using 'refer' when the patient is moving and the reader will take over care. | Use 'transfer' or 'hand over' so responsibility is clear. |
| Describing function vaguely: 'mobilising well' or 'needs some help'. | Give measurable details: level of assistance, distance, aid and supervision. |
| Leaving out precautions, restrictions or how long they last. | State every active precaution and its duration in its own clear sentence. |
| Including problems that have fully resolved at the same length as current ones. | Mention resolved issues briefly, only if the new team should watch for them, and say they have resolved. |
Questions candidates ask
How do you start an OET transfer letter?
State that you are transferring or handing over care, name the patient and the receiving facility, and give the date and the reason. The reader should know in one sentence that the patient is arriving and why.
Is a transfer letter the same as a referral letter in OET?
No. A referral asks for an opinion or a specific treatment, while you usually stay involved. A transfer moves responsibility for ongoing care to the reader, so the letter must cover everything needed from the patient's first day.
What information does a receiving team need in a transfer letter?
The diagnosis and treatment, active precautions or restrictions, current function or condition in measurable terms, issues still being managed, previous level of function, home situation and the patient's goals.
Can a transfer letter be written by a nurse or physiotherapist?
Yes. Transfer tasks appear across professions: nurses commonly transfer patients to aged care or other wards, and allied health professionals hand over therapy to another service.
Other letter types: OET referral letter, OET discharge letter, OET advice letter, OET update letter. Lessons: Purpose: tell the reader what you need, Layout and paragraphs: a letter the reader can scan, Choosing what to keep from the case notes.
Sources
Last checked 22 Oct 2026. Rules and prices change: confirm on the official page before you book or apply.
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