HOSPITAL REFERRALS RESOURCE CENTRE
All the information you need to refer your patients appropriately.
With the NHS having to tighten its belt to cope with financial crisis, and plans afoot to reduce hospital admissions by as much as 20%, GPs are coming under pressure to cut back on hospital referrals.
At the same time, practice-based commissioning (PBC) and patient choice mean that it is more important than ever for GPs to keep up to date on the best approach to hospital referrals, to ensure their patients get the best possible care.
Under the Free Choice at Referral system, NHS patients being referred to hospital can choose where they wish to be treated. This choice covers private providers as well as NHS trusts, and gives GPs the power to refer to any clinically appropriate provider, across the country.
GP has created this hospital referrals online resource centre to help GPs stay abreast of the latest developments. Here you will find all the information you need to ensure that your patients are appropriately referred, including the latest news and feature articles on GP referrals updated weekly, as well as links to external resources.
LATEST REFERRALS NEWS
Freeze QOF for two years, say GP leaders
23 May 2012QOF 'box-ticking' has become so arduous that it now interferes with GPs' ability to deliver traditional primary care and should be frozen for two years in light of commissioning reforms, LMCs have said.
QOF efficiency targets 'price paid' to protect GP pay, says GPC
23 May 2012Controversial quality and productivity (QP) indicators added to the QOF last year were the 'price we had to pay' to avoid GPs losing pay, GP leaders have said.
PCTs ignore cancer scan warning
23 May 2012England's cancer survival rates risk falling further behind the rest of Europe because PCTs are failing to invest in diagnostic services and plan for future demand.
PCTs fail to invest in extra cancer tests
23 May 2012Half of PCTs are failing to invest in extra cancer tests despite long waiting times, putting plans to improve NHS cancer outcomes at risk.
LMCs Conference 2012 - Live Blog
22 May 2012Follow live updates from the 2012 LMCs conference in Liverpool as GP leaders from across the UK debate key issues affecting the profession on 22 and 23 May.
GPs face 'outcomes targets overload', patient group warns
17 May 2012The NHS risks being swamped by too many outcomes targets and should revert to one register of good health outcomes, according to a patient group.
GP-led musculoskeletal scheme cuts waits and boosts outcomes
08 May 2012A GP-led musculoskeletal service has improved waiting times and outcomes and the model it uses should be widely adopted by GP commissioners, clinicians have said.
#weekinreview - 3 May
03 May 2012A glance back over this week's primary care news, opinion, top tweets and best gaffes.
RESOURCES FOR GPs
Infertility management and referring patients A diagnosis should be reached in order to know how to manage and where to refer infertile patients.
Referrals management system Polly Ellison describes what is involved in setting up a service planned to go live in January 2011.
Patient Screening - COPD case-finding saves NHS funding Successfully identifying patients with early symptoms of COPD.
Good Practice: Primary care - Bringing down A&E attendances Community minor emergency services work, say Drs Shyamal Mukherjee, Abhi Mantgani and Shanila Roohi.
Referrals management success A PBC consortium in Plymouth freed up £150,000 in a year by peer review evaluation.
MRCGP: CSA practice case - Patient presents with a list of problems This mock case could be used individually or in a study group with someone playing the doctor, patient and assessor. Dr Prashini Naidoo provides this CSA practice case and marking guide.
ONLINE-ONLY ARTICLES
GP fact file - Private medical insurance
17 October 2009This GP Fact File was written by Dr Louise R Newson, GP, West Midlands
Online-only article: Preventing MRSA infection
27 August 2009Written by Dr Beryl Oppenheim, director of infection prevention and control, Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust.
Online-only article: Private providers and quality assurance
21 August 2009Imminent changes will affect the way all healthcare providers are regulated. By Julie Griffiths
Additional Information
BMI Healthcare
BMI Healthcare is the largest independent provider of acute private health care in the UK, with nearly sixty hospitals nationwide, each offering access to excellent medical and surgical facilities supported by state-of-the-art equipment and high calibre staff.
It attracts consultants from a wide range of specialties, undertaking a range of procedures from routine investigations to the most complex, high acuity cases such as cardiac and neurosurgery.
BMI Healthcare is committed to providing a consistent, high quality service to you and your patients. That is why we are working with Haymarket to create an online Resource Centre, providing the information you need to refer your patients to the right consultant specialists and hospital treatment for their needs.
BMI information for healthcare professionals
- Find out why most consultants choose to work with BMI
- Making a referral - Find a consultant
- BMI Information Centre - for education events in your area
Resources for patients
- Appointments Line - 0845 608 8888
- NHS Choices website
- Choose and Book patient website
- Overall performance - find out about the quality of NHS and independent (private or voluntary) services in your area. You can also compare how well different healthcare organisations are performing.
