Last updated on Thursday, 15, October, 2026

Patient Transfer Documentation: What PHC Indicator 151 Requires

A transfer record meets PHC Indicator 151 when, for every patient transferred to another hospital, the medical record contains three things: the date of transfer, the reason for the transfer (on the patient’s request or otherwise), and the name of the receiving hospital.

This guide explains what to write for each, shows where hospitals usually slip, and gives you a transfer record template your wards can start using this week.

Regulator	Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC)
Standard	29 (IMS-2): the medical record reflects continuity of care
Indicator	151
Priority	Critical
Applies to	Hospitals that transfer patients to another hospital

Indicator 151 is part of the PHC Information Management Systems standards. For all 19 indicators, see our guide to PHC Information Management Standards (IMS 28-30).

What PHC Indicator 151 Requires

The indicator says that when a patient is transferred to another hospital, the medical record contains the date of transfer, the reason for the transfer and the name of the receiving hospital. A reviewer checking the file of a transferred patient looks for three things:

1. The date of transfer is written in the record.
2. The reason is stated. The PHC frames it as transferred on request or otherwise, so the record should say which.
3. The receiving hospital is named. “Another hospital” or “higher centre” is not a name.

Why It Is a Critical Indicator

Indicator 151 is one of six critical indicators in Standard 29, alongside admission and diagnosis (149), operative procedures (150), discharge (152), death (153) and autopsy (154). A transfer is a handover of responsibility for the patient. If the record does not show when it happened, why, and to whom, the hospital cannot show what it did and the next hospital has less to go on.

The 3 Contents a Transfer Record Must Include

The PHC lists these three. The “what to write” column is practical guidance for ward and reception staff; the headings are the PHC’s.

#	PHC requirement	What to write	Example entry
1	Date of transfer	The date the patient left your hospital. Add the time too, since every entry should be dated and timed (Indicator 146)	14 Oct 2026, 18:30
2	Reason for transfer	State whether the transfer was on the patient’s or family’s request or otherwise. If otherwise, say why	Transferred on request of family, who prefer a hospital closer to home
3	Name of the receiving hospital	The full name of the hospital, and the city if it helps	City Care Hospital, Lahore

The examples are illustrative only. Use your own details.

Be specific about the reason. “Referred” or “shifted” tells a reviewer nothing. If the reason is clinical, for example a service you do not provide, write it in plain words.

Many hospitals add more. The receiving doctor or department, the patient’s condition at transfer, the mode of transport, a transfer summary sent with the patient and the consent for transfer are common additions. They are good practice but not among the three the PHC lists, so add them on top, never instead. Keep a copy of anything sent with the patient in the record.

Check your policy on discharge notes. A transferred patient is leaving your care, so decide whether your policy also requires a discharge summary (Indicator 152) and write that decision down.

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Where Hospitals Usually Fail on Transfer Records

These are the gaps to look for in your own files. Each maps to the indicator’s wording.

• No date of transfer in the record, only on a handover slip or in a nursing note somewhere else.
• No reason, or a vague one such as “referred” or “for better care”.
• No distinction between a transfer on request and one made for another reason.
• The receiving hospital not named, for example “higher centre” or “another hospital”.
• The transfer recorded only in the register, not in the patient’s own record.
• No copy of what was sent with the patient.
• No name, title, date or time next to the entry. Like every entry, a transfer record should show who wrote it and when (Indicators 146 and 147).
• Illegible handwriting, which fails a legibility review (Indicator 159).

If your files show more than a few of these, a monthly sample audit of transferred patients will show how widespread the problem is.

How to Comply with Indicator 151 in Six Steps

1. Define what counts as a transfer in your policy, and who may authorize and record it.
2. Use one transfer form with the three required fields, so no ward invents its own format.
3. Complete it before the patient leaves, not afterwards from memory.
4. Sign it properly with name, title, date and time, and add the signers to your written list of authorized individuals (Indicator 145).
5. Keep a copy of the transfer form and any summary sent in the patient’s record.
6. Audit a sample every month. Check transferred patients’ files for the date, the reason and the receiving hospital, and document what you find and fix (Indicators 156 to 162).

Transfer Record Template

Use this as a starting point and adapt the wording to your wards.

Section	Entry
Patient (name, age, sex, MRN, ward)
1. Date and time of transfer
2. Reason for transfer (on request, or otherwise: state why)
3. Name of receiving hospital
Condition at transfer (optional)
Documents sent with the patient (optional)
Written by (name and title)
Signature, date and time

How Hospital Software Helps with Transfer Records

On paper, transfers often live in a handover register or on a loose slip that never reaches the file. An electronic record keeps the transfer where the next reviewer expects to find it.

With CoreMedix hospital management software and the Electronic Medical Record from InstaCare:

• The transfer is recorded in the patient’s own record, next to the admission note and progress notes.
• Date, reason and receiving hospital can be made required fields, so a transfer cannot be saved half-empty.
• Every entry carries the author’s name, title, date and time automatically.
• A copy of any summary sent with the patient can be kept in the same file.
• Your quality team can pull transferred patients’ records for a monthly audit instead of searching registers.

Want to see it working on your own transfers? Request a demo.

Prepare Your Hospital for PHC Review

• Download the PHC IMS checklist: all 19 indicators, color-coded critical and non-critical.
• Request a demo to see how CoreMedix handles transfer records and the rest of the medical record.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Does PHC Indicator 151 Require?

When a patient is transferred to another hospital, the medical record must contain the date of transfer, the reason for the transfer and the name of the receiving hospital.

Is Indicator 151 Critical?

Yes. The PHC marks it as a critical indicator under Standard 29 (IMS-2).

What Reasons for Transfer Should Be Recorded?

The PHC frames the reason as transferred on request or otherwise. Record which applies, and if the transfer was for another reason, say what it was in plain words.

Does the Record Have to Name the Receiving Hospital?

Yes. The indicator asks for the name of the receiving hospital, so “another hospital” or “higher centre” is not enough.

Do We Have to Record the Time of Transfer as Well as the Date?

The PHC indicator names the date. The PHC also expects every entry to be dated and timed (Indicator 146), so write the time as well.

How Can We Check That Our Transfer Records Comply?

Review a sample of transferred patients’ files each month. Check for the date, the reason and the receiving hospital, and for a signed entry. Record the gaps and the corrective action taken.