OET Schizophrenia Referral Letter: Correction and Analysis
See how an OET referral letter for a patient with suspected schizophrenia can be improved without changing the underlying clinical case. The examples below show how purpose, information selection, organisation and clinical language affect the way a psychiatrist reads the referral.
What is happening in this psychiatric referral?
Mrs Alison Martin is a 28-year-old teacher whose mental state has progressively deteriorated. By her most recent consultation, her presentation included reduced speech, poor eye contact, disorganised speech, bizarre behaviour and possible visual hallucinations and delusions.
The writing challenge is not simply to reproduce the case notes. The referral needs to make the reason for psychiatric assessment clear and organise the clinical history so that the receiving specialist can follow the progression of the patient’s condition.
Original and corrected opening
Compare where the important clinical information appears in each version.
I am writing to refer Mrs Alison Martin, a 28 years old female, married with two children. She works as a teacher and lives with her husband’s parents. She has a positive family history for schizophrenia.
I am writing to refer Mrs Alison Martin, a 28-year-old teacher, for urgent specialist assessment and management due to a recent deterioration in her mental state, including reduced speech, poor eye contact, disorganised speech, bizarre behaviour and possible visual hallucinations and delusions.
Why the second opening is clearer
The original begins with personal background. The corrected version tells the psychiatrist immediately why Mrs Martin is being referred and identifies the findings that make specialist assessment necessary.
Corrected OET schizophrenia referral letter
The full corrected version preserves the clinical sequence while bringing the referral purpose and current psychiatric presentation into clearer focus.
Dr Peta Cassimatis
1414 Logan Road
Mt Gravatt 4222
6 February 2026
Dear Dr Cassimatis,
Re: Mrs Alison Martin, 28 years old
I am writing to refer Mrs Alison Martin, a 28-year-old teacher, for urgent specialist assessment and management due to a recent deterioration in her mental state, including reduced speech, poor eye contact, disorganised speech, bizarre behaviour and possible visual hallucinations and delusions.
Mrs Martin first attended the clinic on 1 September with tiredness, low-grade fever, reduced motivation at work, stress, poor appetite and weight loss. Her vital signs and physical examination were normal. She was advised to use relaxation techniques, exercise regularly, maintain a temperature chart and return if her symptoms did not improve.
Less than two weeks later, she returned with persistent symptoms, poor concentration and difficulty coping with household problems. She was anxious and experiencing frequent headaches. Early depression or schizophrenia was considered, and diazepam 10 mg at night and paracetamol as required were commenced, with a review planned in two weeks.
At her most recent appointment, Mrs Martin attended with her husband, who reported that she had been avoiding eye contact, speaking less, planning poorly and showing signs suggestive of visual hallucinations and delusions. On examination, she had a depressed mood, poor eye contact, disorganised speech and bizarre behaviour, although her vital signs remained within normal limits.
Given these findings and her positive family history of schizophrenia, I would appreciate your urgent assessment and ongoing management.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require any further information.
Yours sincerely,
Doctor
What changed in the student’s referral letter?
1. Patient description
Mrs Alison Martin, a 28 years old female, married with two children.
Mrs Alison Martin, a 28-year-old teacher.
28-year-old is the correct compound adjective. Removing lower-priority personal information also allows the opening to reach the clinical purpose more quickly.
2. First consultation
On september first, she came to the clinic with a complaint of tiredness, low grade temperature, lack of motivation at work, stress, loss of appetite and weight.
Mrs Martin first attended the clinic on 1 September with tiredness, low-grade fever, reduced motivation at work, stress, poor appetite and weight loss.
The corrected sentence uses more natural clinical wording and presents the symptoms without the unnecessary phrase “with a complaint of”.
3. Differential diagnosis and treatment
On the hypothesis of early depression or schizophrenia, treatment with Diazepam 10mg/nocte and paracetamol as required was commenced, with a review in two weeks.
Early depression or schizophrenia was considered, and diazepam 10 mg at night and paracetamol as required were commenced, with a review planned in two weeks.
Was considered is more natural here than “on the hypothesis of”. The medication and review plan are also easier to read.
4. Husband’s observations
According to him, she avoids eye contact with other people, is presenting with reduced speech output, impaired planning and indications of visual hallucinations and delusions.
Her husband reported that she had been avoiding eye contact, speaking less, planning poorly and showing signs suggestive of visual hallucinations and delusions.
The revised version identifies the source of the information directly and uses consistent tense and more natural reporting language.
5. Specialist request
Given these clinical findings, she needs a specialist evaluation and management.
Given these findings and her positive family history of schizophrenia, I would appreciate your urgent assessment and ongoing management.
The corrected sentence addresses the psychiatrist directly and makes the requested action explicit.
What should the psychiatrist understand first?
The chronology still matters, but the reason for referral should not be hidden inside it.
Reason for referral
Why does Mrs Martin require psychiatric assessment now?
Current presentation
What changes in behaviour, speech, mood and perception are causing concern?
Clinical progression
How did the presentation develop from the earlier consultations?
Previous management
What treatment or advice has already been provided?
Relevant history
Which background information helps the psychiatrist interpret the current presentation?
Requested action
What does the referring doctor want the specialist to do?
Language corrections from the referral
These examples show how relatively small language changes can make clinical correspondence more natural and precise.
| Original wording | Improved wording | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| a 28 years old female | a 28-year-old teacher | Correct compound adjective and more natural description. |
| came to the clinic | first attended the clinic | More appropriate wording for clinical correspondence. |
| On the hypothesis of… | …was considered | Simpler and more natural clinical phrasing. |
| is presenting with reduced speech output | speaking less | More direct reporting of the husband’s observation. |
| she needs a specialist evaluation | I would appreciate your urgent assessment | The request is addressed directly to the recipient. |
Useful language from this case
Recent deterioration in mental state, disorganised speech, bizarre behaviour, urgent specialist assessment, ongoing management, poor concentration and visual hallucinations are useful expressions to recognise in psychiatric correspondence.
How the correction relates to OET Writing assessment
Purpose
The reason for referral is established in the opening sentence and remains clear throughout the letter.
Content
The letter retains the clinical information needed to understand Mrs Martin’s deterioration and the reason for psychiatric assessment.
Conciseness & Clarity
Personal background does not delay the main clinical concern, and earlier consultations are used to explain progression.
Genre & Style
The wording is appropriate for professional communication between a referring doctor and psychiatrist.
Organisation & Layout
The paragraphs move from referral purpose through clinical history and current presentation to the requested specialist action.
Language
Grammar, sentence structure and clinical expressions are revised where the original wording is awkward or inaccurate.
OET schizophrenia referral letter FAQ
Why should the referral purpose appear in the first paragraph?
The receiving psychiatrist needs to understand why the patient is being referred before interpreting the supporting history. In this case, Mrs Martin’s recent deterioration and the need for urgent specialist assessment are therefore established immediately.
Why were family and social details shortened?
They may be relevant, but they should not delay the current psychiatric presentation unless they directly affect the purpose of the referral or the specialist’s management.
Can previous consultations be summarised in OET Writing?
Yes. Earlier consultations can be condensed when the important information is retained and the resulting summary helps explain the patient’s progression.
Should schizophrenia be mentioned if it is only suspected?
The wording needs to reflect the information in the case notes accurately. In this example, early depression or schizophrenia had been considered, while the later presentation provides the clinical reason for psychiatric assessment.
Does this corrected letter guarantee a particular OET Writing score?
No. An OET Writing response is assessed as a complete piece of communication. This example is useful for studying how purpose, content selection, organisation, professional style and language can be improved.
Compare this case with other OET referral letters
Different clinical cases require different information, but comparing corrections makes it easier to see how purpose and information selection change with the recipient and reason for writing.
Want detailed feedback on your own OET letter?
Have your writing reviewed for purpose, content selection, organisation, clinical language and recurring errors, with feedback focused on what you need to improve in your next response.
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