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In a bid to speed up the detection of major health problems, GPs will now be able to directly order diagnostic checks for patients with suspected heart and lung conditions.
This means GPs will no longer have to refer some heart and lung patients to specialists, speeding up potentially life-saving treatment and medication for patients.
The scheme, announced by the NHS today, includes tests for COPD, asthma, cardiovascular disease and heart failure. It follows a similar initiative already in place for cancer, which has provided quicker access to tests for those who do not meet the criteria for urgent referral.
Dr Vin Diwakar, Medical Director for Secondary Care and Transformation, says the plans will enable “thousands” to get vital diagnoses sooner.
GPs can refer patients directly to community diagnostic centres
GPs will be able to refer patients directly to their local hospital or local community diagnostic centre, which provide a ‘one stop shop’ for scans and tests.
One stop shops can also provide FeNO testing for asthma, blood tests to identify people at high-risk of heart failure and spirometry testing which can help diagnose lung conditions, including COPD.
The new scheme aims to capitalise on the additional capacity provided by over a hundred new community diagnostic centres, which offer patients convenient triaging and testing near their homes.
The plans are part of measures to free up consultants’ time, and while the BMA says this idea is “sensible”, it says the plans devised by the government and health leaders are “illogical”.
New scheme will add more pressure on GPs, says BMA
Dr Kieran Sharrock, acting chair of GPC England at the BMA, has accused the government of playing “whack a mole with our NHS”, reducing pressure in one area only to cause more in another.
Indeed, Dr Sharrock says while the BMA “acknowledges” NHS England’s efforts to tackle winter pressures, this new initiative will only put more strain on primary care and hard-working GPs.
“These kinds of fast-tracked diagnostic referrals come with the expectation that additional work, such as performing complex investigations not part of a normal GP service, will be done prior to referral and NHSE has provided no details on how already overstretched GPs will undertake the extra work required.
“Patient referral is a complex process, and many GPs report that their referrals are being returned or blocked by the advice and guidance system with demands for further investigations, treatments, information. GPs then must re-refer and this not only increases workload but causes further delays for patients.”
Dr Sharrock also highlights that the plans make no reference to how it plans to fund this new work, and calls on the government to provide the NHS with the funding it needs so that patients can “receive the care they deserve in good time.”