Becky is a female personal trainer based in Horsham specialising in working with cancer patients and those with lived experience of cancer. Here, she provides details of how medical oncologists and other cancer care professionals can refer patients to her rehabilitation service…
Something that’s come to my attention recently is that healthcare and medical professionals may wish to refer patients to a practitioner such as myself, but aren’t sure how to do so. I thought I’d share a guide for this audience in particular, so read on to find out more…
Referring to a fitness professional
This is almost certainly a lot simpler than you expect, and compared to what you’re used to when referring inside your own organisation or sector. All I need (and many of my peers will be the same) is an email stating that someone is interested in having a conversation. That’s it.
No medical history (so no need to seek consent or worry about data protection to that extent), no case notes, no major details. You can copy the patient in so that we have each other’s contact details, and I will follow up as soon as I can or, if you have their permission, you can just send me their name and email address or phone number, again enabling me to get in touch when I can.
What makes it so simple to refer to a personal trainer?
The vast majority of people refer themselves to me, so I’m used to receiving a message where they give a brief introduction and state that they’re interested in learning more about personal training. Think about how you might make this enquiry for yourself – that’s all I need.
There are, sadly, significant barriers to entry when it comes to fitness, and having a simple referral and introductory process removes a lot of friction. I don’t need a lot of information in advance because, prior to booking someone for an actual exercise session, I arrange to meet them for a free consultation.
During this meeting, I find out more about the person, offer them the opportunity to ask me anything, and take details of their health situation. All personal trainers are qualified to do this to an extent – whilst personal training isn’t a regulated profession, courses are standardised and should include training on completing a PAR-Q (Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire) for each client a trainer intends to work with. For those living with a complex or chronic health condition, there is an extended version of this called PARQ+ which is more thorough.
When completing the form, personal trainers are taught to ask appropriate follow up questions and either refuse service or signpost the person on to a healthcare professional when necessary. Whilst we aren’t medics ourselves and therefore don’t give medical advice, we are trained to identify important things that could make participating in exercise too risky, and seek clarification or permission from someone who is qualified differently to ourselves prior to proceeding. In the UK, we also have to hold a valid first aid certification in order to take out an insurance policy that covers out practice. Qualified personal trainers will be happy to produce proof of their credentials upon request.
Funding for personal training sessions
This is another typical sticking point, and I’m afraid that it isn’t going away any time soon. Getting personal training sessions or fitness classes funded is incredibly difficult. Charities have tight budgets with high demands. So does the NHS. And, bluntly, all of us have bills to pay.
I make no pretence about the fact that I am a commercial enterprise. Just as you do your job partly to bring home a wage, so do I. I aim to keep my service as affordable as possible – I currently operate on a pay-as-you-go basis, and my clients determine a frequency of sessions that suits them and their budget, rather than me dictating it. At the moment, that is the best I can do.
I’ve heard from some medical professionals that there is an issue with an NHS employee referring to someone within the private sector, and all I can do is offer the reassurances I’ve already made via this post regarding qualifications and fitness to practice. I would be very happy to address any questions that you have, so if there’s something you’d like to discuss, please feel free to get in touch with me.
Improving links between medicine and the community
At the inaugural International Society of Exercise Oncology conference in July 2026, the leaders of the event stated their desire to make personalised exercise programming standard of care for cancer patients. Broadly, there are two ways to achieve this aim: start providing services such as mine within a hospital setting, or refer out to someone like myself in the community. My peers and I are here, ready and willing to help those who need us. We need you to point them in our direction.
