Is restricting GP referrals the best way of cutting NHS costs?
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Is restricting GP referrals the best way of cutting NHS costs?
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A report in Pulse says that GPs are facing a new round of efficiency targets and will be making more cuts to referrals until the end of the financial year because PCTs and clinical commissio
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Forums » Open clinical » General clinical » Is restricting GP referrals the best way of cutting NHS costs?
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Is restricting GP referrals the best way of cutting NHS costs?
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Re: Is restricting GP referrals the best way of cutting NHS costs?
posted at 9/2/2012 10:13 AM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 2075
First: 10/3/2009 Last: 18/5/2012 |
If you cut down referrals you could have a very healthy population. How about a hospital with no patients? Yes, Minister. In one area of Brisbane there is no ENT provision in a suburban hospital of poor socioeconomic standing. 30 children a week are needed to be seen. Result. Increase in deafness in children from glue ear. Deafness costs $$$$. Deaf patients are more likely to end up on social services. Balance sheet unfavourable. Moral: A stitch in time saves nine but I will not be in power then as we have short electoral cycles and deaf people could live four decades or more.
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Re: Is restricting GP referrals the best way of cutting NHS costs?
posted at 9/2/2012 4:12 PM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 195
First: 8/6/2011 Last: 19/5/2012 |
Many times i hear specialists complaining that GPs make many referals that they shouldn't. As a GP in training and working with them i anderstand that these is already a '' pressure'' for GPS From the other part the most patients don't like GP to refer them to another doctor or to the hospital, mostly becouse they feel that they will loose much more time. The patients don't like to wait for the examination and they wand to be examined fast , concise and efective. So these is a second already ''pressure for GPs to not making referrals. From what i have observed untill now almost all the GPs in fact avoid making referrals. I agree with all of you that these maesures will have as a result the increasing of medical mistakes. But from the other part we running out of money. I think that a better solution would be ( for the non-emergency cases) ; the GPs after they do a very good examination of the patient and they think about a referral ,to speak first on the telephon or internet with a specialist from the nhs. The most possible is the specialist to give instructions and to not be any more need for the patient to go to the hospital or to the specialist. But if the specialist says that a referral should be done ' then the referral to be done. My opinion is that in these way we could have a reduce of referrals of at least about 30% . We need more organisation, no more pain. |
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Re: Is restricting GP referrals the best way of cutting NHS costs?
posted at 9/2/2012 4:13 PM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 195
First: 8/6/2011 Last: 19/5/2012 |
Many times i hear specialists complaining that GPs make many referals that they shouldn't. As a GP in training and working with them i anderstand that these is already a '' pressure'' for GPS From the other part the most patients don't like GP to refer them to another doctor or to the hospital, mostly becouse they feel that they will loose much more time. The patients don't like to wait for the examination and they wand to be examined fast , concise and efective. So these is a second already ''pressure for GPs to not making referrals. From what i have observed untill now almost all the GPs in fact avoid making referrals. I agree with all of you that these maesures will have as a result the increasing of medical mistakes. But from the other part we running out of money. I think that a better solution would be ( for the non-emergency cases) ; the GPs after they do a very good examination of the patient and they think about a referral ,to speak first on the telephon or internet with a specialist from the nhs. The most possible is the specialist to give instructions and to not be any more need for the patient to go to the hospital or to the specialist. But if the specialist says that a referral should be done ' then the referral to be done. My opinion is that in these way we could have a reduce of referrals of at least about 30% . We need more organisation, no more pain. |
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Re: Is restricting GP referrals the best way of cutting NHS costs?
posted at 9/2/2012 6:35 PM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 683
First: 19/4/2010 Last: 17/5/2012 |
This is utter madness, isn't it? How on Earth can GPs restrict epidemiological variance? Or socioeconomic class distribution? The most important part of the primary/secondary care inferface is ease of communication - I am in frequent, daily, communication with the GPs of Tayside, and I'm able to cut off referrals, or encourage them as appropriate. I think the GPs find this helpful. Restricting referrals - nonsense.
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Re: Is restricting GP referrals the best way of cutting NHS costs?
posted at 9/2/2012 10:06 PM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 1325
First: 7/3/2009 Last: 21/5/2012 |
Ikaros, do you really think it is possible to discuss all referrals to specialists with the specialists on telephone or internet, for selecting the most suitable referrals? This is impossible in time terms. Unless we will all see no more than 10 patients a day.... Common sense, ladies and gentelmen... not starnge ideas such as restrictions on referrals. Next, we will talk about treating all ailments with leaches... |
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Re: Is restricting GP referrals the best way of cutting NHS costs?
posted at 10/2/2012 11:07 AM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 24
First: 9/2/2012 Last: 27/2/2012 |
It's not unheard of that patients will deliberately visit their GP's in order to get a referral. Some have already worked the system and the statistics. Now, a consideration to make here is if that becomes a trend, what is the financial impact of this on the NHS? GP's medical judgement should be respected and imposing target on a judgement certainly not a way forward. |
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Re: Is restricting GP referrals the best way of cutting NHS costs?
posted at 10/2/2012 11:23 AM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 195
First: 8/6/2011 Last: 19/5/2012 |
You are right Yoram, it is imposposible to be done. Anyway we sould see the precend of pacients that are treated in the primary care withought needing to have a referral. These will give the real picture. |
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Re: Is restricting GP referrals the best way of cutting NHS costs?
posted at 12/2/2012 6:40 PM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 1325
First: 7/3/2009 Last: 21/5/2012 |
Again and again we see all over the world the same approach: find the simplest and meanest way that has to do nothing with quality of healthcare, only to see not further the the tip of the nose. Let us cut referrals and tie doctors' hands, so we will "save money". That it would later result in a much more expensive care, that we will leave for the next person who will come after us... "Its all about the M-O-N-E-Y". |
Forums » Open clinical » General clinical » Is restricting GP referrals the best way of cutting NHS costs?
