When you'll write one
An update is set when the reader already knows the patient and needs to hear what has happened since: for example a therapist reporting back to the referring GP, or a specialist updating the GP after treatment. It often ends with a new request.
Usual readers: referring general practitioner, specialist, case manager, community nurse, NDIS or aged care coordinator. Purpose verbs: update you on, inform you of, report on the progress of, request a review of, let you know about.
Structure
| Paragraph | Content | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| 1 · Purpose | Patient, the original referral in one phrase, and both jobs of the letter: the update and any request. | If there is a new request, mention it in the opening as well as at the end. |
| 2 · Starting point and actions | The problems you found at the start and what has been done. | The reader referred the patient, so skip the background they already know. |
| 3 · Progress | Measurable outcomes since your actions: what has improved and what has not. | Contrast before and after so progress is obvious at a glance. |
| 4 · New issue, request and plan | Any new concern, what you want the reader to do, and your plan from here. | Say when your involvement will end or be reviewed; the referrer needs to plan too. |
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] [Update verb] + [patient] + [age] + [whom you referred on date for reason] + [new request, if any]. [Findings at first assessment] + [interventions completed] + [strategies taught]. [Measurable outcome since intervention] + [remaining difficulty]. [New issue and when it was noticed] + [specific request] + [your plan and expected end date]. Yours sincerely, [Your role]
Sample update letter (Occupational Therapy)
Case: A community occupational therapist is reporting back to the GP who referred a 72-year-old man with Parkinson's disease after a fall. A new problem with symptoms between medicine doses needs the GP's review.
Case notes (15 lines)
- Mr Ivan Petrovic, DOB 18/09/1954 (72 yrs)
- Parkinson's disease, diagnosed 2021; on levodopa (combination tablet) 4x daily
- Referred by GP 25/08/26 for home safety and ADL assessment after fall in shower
- Lives with wife (70) in two-storey townhouse; bedroom upstairs
- Initial assessment 02/09/26: difficulty stepping over bath to shower; freezing in doorways; wife helps with dressing
- 15/09: grab rails + shower chair installed in bathroom
- 29/09: second stair rail fitted
- Cueing strategies for freezing taught (counting steps, stepping over line)
- Button hook + elastic laces: dresses independently except small shirt buttons in morning
- No falls since 15/09
- Rails funded through home care package
- Enjoys woodwork in garage; safety advice given
- Wife plays tennis twice a week
- 20/10: pt and wife report freezing and slowness worse in the hour before each levodopa dose
- Plan: 2 further visits; discharge from OT early Dec if stable
Task: Using the information in the case notes, write a letter to Dr Fiona McAllister, General Practitioner, Lakeview Medical Practice, 3 Shore Avenue, Lakeview, updating her on Mr Petrovic's progress.
Dr Fiona McAllister
General Practitioner
Lakeview Medical Practice
3 Shore Avenue
Lakeview
22 October 2026
Dear Dr McAllister,
Re: Mr Ivan Petrovic, DOB 18/09/1954
I am writing to update you on Mr Petrovic, 72, whom you referred on 25 August1 for a home safety assessment following a fall in the shower, and to request a review of his Parkinson's disease medication2.
At my initial assessment on 2 September, Mr Petrovic had difficulty stepping over the bath to shower, froze in doorways and needed his wife's help to dress. Since then, grab rails and a shower chair have been installed, and a second rail has been fitted to the staircase. He has also learnt cueing strategies, such as counting his steps, to manage freezing.
He has had no falls since the bathroom was modified3 in mid-September. Using a button hook and elastic laces, he now dresses independently, except for small shirt buttons in the morning.
However, at my visit on 20 October4, he and his wife reported that his freezing and slowness become worse in the hour before each levodopa dose. I would be grateful if you could review the timing of his medication or consider referral to his neurologist. I plan to see him twice more and expect to discharge him from our service in early December5 if he remains stable.
Yours sincerely,
[Name]
Occupational Therapist
Body: 197 words
Why it works
- “whom you referred on 25 August”: Content: reminds the reader of their own referral without repeating background she already has.
- “and to request a review of his Parkinson's disease medication”: Purpose: the opening flags both jobs, so the GP knows an action is coming.
- “has had no falls since the bathroom was modified”: Content: a measurable outcome that links the intervention to the original problem.
- “However, at my visit on 20 October”: Organisation: the linker marks a turn from progress to the new concern.
- “expect to discharge him from our service in early December”: Purpose expanded: the referrer learns the plan and when OT involvement ends.
What it leaves out, and why
| Case note | Why it's left out or compressed |
|---|---|
| Rails funded through home care package | Funding source does not affect the GP's next step. |
| Enjoys woodwork in garage; safety advice given | Handled within OT; no action needed from the GP. |
| Wife plays tennis twice a week | Not relevant to his care or the request. |
| Lives with wife (70) in two-storey townhouse; bedroom upstairs | The GP knows his home; the stair rail sentence covers it. |
Useful phrases (adapt, don't copy)
Opening
- I am writing to update you on [patient], [age], whom you referred on [date] for [reason].
- I am writing to inform you of [patient]'s progress since [event], and to request [action].
- Further to your referral of [date], I would like to report on [patient]'s progress.
Linking
- At my initial assessment on [date], …
- Since then, …
- [She / He] now …, although …
- However, …
Closing
- I would be grateful if you could [review / consider] …
- I plan to [next step] and expect to [discharge / review] [her / him] by [date].
- I will write to you again after [event].
- Please contact me if you would like to discuss [patient]'s progress.
Mistakes to avoid in a update letter
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Repeating the background the referrer gave you in the first place. | One phrase is enough: 'whom you referred on [date] for [reason]'. |
| Describing progress vaguely: 'he is doing much better'. | Give before-and-after facts: no falls since [date], dresses independently except [task]. |
| Burying a new problem in the middle of the progress report. | Give the new issue its own paragraph, introduced with a linker such as 'However,'. |
| Forgetting to say what happens next. | Finish with your plan and timeframe, and any request for the reader. |
Questions candidates ask
What is an OET update letter?
A letter that reports on a patient's progress to someone already involved in their care, often the professional who made the referral. It may also include a new request, such as a medication review.
Does an update letter need a purpose statement?
Yes. Say in the opening that you are updating the reader, and mention any request there too. Purpose is assessed in every letter type, not only referrals.
How much background should an OET update letter include?
Very little. The reader usually knows the patient, so a short reminder of the original referral is enough. Spend your words on what has changed and what you need.
Can an OET update letter include a request?
Yes, and it often should. If something new needs the reader's action, mention it in the first paragraph and give the specific request near the end.
Other letter types: OET referral letter, OET discharge letter, OET transfer letter, OET advice letter. Lessons: Purpose: tell the reader what you need, Layout and paragraphs: a letter the reader can scan.
Sources
Last checked 22 Oct 2026. Rules and prices change: confirm on the official page before you book or apply.
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