Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Doctors angry over 'op meddling'

Patients are referred to hospital via management referral centres


Doctors have criticised the increasing interference in the way patients are referred for surgery.

Over half of English GPs are being forced to use referral management centres which have been rolled out over the last two years.

The centres act as "middle-men" between GPs and hospitals by recommending where and when patients are treated.

But the British Medical Association said they were being used to ration care and create unnecessary red-tape.


The centres are manned by primary care trust staff, some of whom are not medically qualified.

A recent survey by doctor's magazine Pulse found 53% of GPs were having to use them to refer patients to hospital - in many of these cases they were being barred from naming the consultant they wanted their patient to see.

But a spokesman for the Department of Health said: "Referral management schemes should ensure NHS patients see the most appropriate clinician in the most convenient setting.

"These schemes must only be set up where they will benefit patients.

"The department has issued a wealth of guidance to ensure this message gets through to the NHS and trusts should be reviewing existing schemes to ensure they create put the patient first.

"If a patient needs to be referred to hospital then, clearly, they should be referred.


THIS IS VERY PERSONAL TO ME, I WAS REFERED BY MY G.P BEFORE CHRISTMAS AND I WENT THROUGH THE CHOOSE & BOOK SYSTEM (TOTALLY FLAWED) AND TODAY 3RD JANUARY 2007, 12 DAYS BEFORE THE AGREED APPOINTMENT I TOOK A CALL FROM MY G.P SURGERY INFORMING ME THAT THE APPOINTMENT HAD BEEN CANCELLED, THE LADY DID SAY THAT SHE WILL ASKING THE G.P TO FOLLOW THIS UP, THE REASON GIVEN - "THIS DOES NOT MEET THE REFERAL CRITERIA" - MORE PCT MEDDLING?, DOH MEDDLING OR SHA MEDDLING, JUST GOES TO PROVE THAT THE SUGGESTIONS OF G.P'S BEING INSTRUCTED AS TO NOT TO REFER TO HINCHINGBROOKE (REFUTED BY THE SHA) IS ENTIRELY TRUE.......