linking to a new form

I am trying to link to a new form can anyone help me with syntax please?
I'm guessing there has to be a POST somewhere here??
I don't want to use a button I just want the link to go to the next page of the form so kind of a submit when clicked. (JS onclick? - not sure of the syntax)

$link_address = 'https://xyz.gov.uk/LFT/?chronoform=Change_Pharmacy_Main_Form&gpage=Main_Form';

oci_execute($stid);  
while (($emp = oci_fetch_array($stid, OCI_BOTH)) != false) {
  echo "<tr>"; 
  echo  "<td>"."<a href=$link_address&ref=".$emp['REFERENCE'].">".$emp['REFERENCE']."</a>"."</td>";  

The code above just keeps me on the form I am already on.

As an addition to the above here's a pic of what I am trying to do.
​
1. User enters reference number if that data is more than 5 days old show an error and return to the submission form.
2. User clicks one of the reference links (these are filtered less than 5 days old) - Why have both? Requirement spec! The link then takes the user off to the main form where the data is displayed and can be edited.
​

​

$conn = oci_connect($username, $password, $servername); 
if (!$conn) {     
    $e = oci_error();
    echo(htmlentities($e['message'], ENT_QUOTES));
    echo "<br>";
}    

$stmt = "SELECT REFERENCE, SITEID, SITENAME, WHATISYOURNAME, DATERECORDED, NUMBEROFPOSITIVELFTTESTS, NUMBEROFVOIDLFTTESTS, NUMBEROFNEGATIVELFTTESTS, NUMBEROFPHARMACYSITESOPERATION
   FROM $table
   WHERE SITEID = 'PCR1'";

$stid = oci_parse($conn, $stmt);

echo '<table border = 1>';
echo "<tr><th style=width:20%>REFERENCE</th><th style=width:5%>SITEID</th><th style=width:12%>SITE NAME</th><th style=width:18%>DATE RECORDED</th><th>RECORDED BY</th></tr>";

$link_address = 'https://xxxx.gov.uk/LFT/?chronoform=Change_Pharmacy_Main_Form&gpage=Main_Form';

oci_execute($stid);  
while (($emp = oci_fetch_array($stid, OCI_BOTH)) != false) {
  $CheckDate = $emp['DATERECORDED'];
  $mydate = date_create($CheckDate)->format('d-M-y');
  //echo 'My Date - ',$mydate.'<br>';
  $threshold = date('Y-m-d', strtotime("-5 days"));
  $threshold = date_create($threshold)->format('d-M-y');
  //echo 'Threshold - ',$threshold.'<br>';
  $value =  $threshold - $mydate;
  //echo 'Value - ',$value.'<br>';
  If ($value < '-5' || $value > '0') {
    echo "<tr>";   
    //echo 'This data is greater than 5 days old!';
  }
  else{
     echo "<tr>"; 
    echo  "<td>"."<a href=$link_address&ref=".$emp['REFERENCE'].">".$emp['REFERENCE']."</a>"."</td>";  
    $this->set("OracleReference", $emp['REFERENCE']);
    echo "<td>".$emp['SITEID']."</td>";
    $this->set("OracleSiteID", $emp['SITEID']);
    echo "<td>".$emp['SITENAME']."</td>";
    $this->set("OracleSiteName", $emp['SITENAME']);
    echo "<td>".$emp['DATERECORDED']."</td>";
    $this->set("OracleDateRecorded", $emp['DATERECORDED']);
    echo "<td>".$emp['WHATISYOURNAME']."</td>";
    //echo "<td>".$emp['NUMBEROFPOSITIVELFTTESTS']."</td>";
    //echo "<td>".$emp['NUMBEROFVOIDLFTTESTS']."</td>";
    //echo "<td>".$emp['NUMBEROFNEGATIVELFTTESTS']."</td>";
    //echo "<td>".$emp['NUMBEROFPEOPLETESTED']."</td>";
    //echo "<td>".$emp['NUMBEROFPHARMACYSITESOPERATION']."</td>";
    echo "</tr>";
  }
}
echo "</table>";

?>

The code above is the submit part of the form. Here is where I can't get the link type submission working.
​
after either the lookup or the link the form then goes to the edit section of the form. Here is where I need a redirect back if the data is more than 5 days old code below

$stid = oci_parse($conn, $stmt);

oci_execute($stid);  
while (($emp = oci_fetch_array($stid, OCI_BOTH)) != false) {
  // Is the data more than 5 days old?
  $CheckDate = $emp['DATERECORDED'];
  //echo 'Date Recorded - ', $CheckDate.'<br>';
  $mydate = date_create($CheckDate)->format('d-M-y');
  //echo 'My Date - ',$mydate.'<br>';
  $threshold = date('Y-m-d', strtotime("-5 days"));
  $threshold = date_create($threshold)->format('d-M-y');
  //echo 'Threshold - ', $threshold.'<br>';
  $value = $threshold - $mydate;
  echo 'Value - ',$value.'<br>';   
  
  If ($value < '-5' || $value > '0') {
  echo 'This data is more than 5 days old'.'<br>'; //Maybe pass a var back to the submission part to show an error??
  header( "Location: ?chronoform=Change_Pharmacy_Main_Form&gpage=Main_Form");// results in too many redirects error!!
  }
  else {
    $this->set("OracleReference", $emp['REFERENCE']);
    $this->set("OracleSiteID", $emp['SITEID']);
    $this->set("OracleSiteName", $emp['SITENAME']);
    $this->set("OracleWhatIsYourName", $emp['WHATISYOURNAME']);
    $this->set("OracleDateRecorded", $emp['DATERECORDED']);
    $this->set("OracleNumberPositive", $emp['NUMBEROFPOSITIVELFTTESTS']);
    $this->set("OracleNumberVoid", $emp['NUMBEROFVOIDLFTTESTS']);
    $this->set("OracleNumberNegative", $emp['NUMBEROFNEGATIVELFTTESTS']);
    $this->set("OracleNumberInOperation", $emp['NUMBEROFPHARMACYSITESOPERATION']);
  }
}

​
Can anyone please help me sort this out?
​