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One in five (21%) GP referrals are either lost, rejected or not followed up, according to new research by Healthwatch.
The research, which is based on a survey of 1,777 adults, found that hundreds of patients have fallen into a ‘referrals black hole’, meaning they have either been referred to the wrong service, their appointment has been cancelled, they were taken off the waiting list or they didn’t hear anything back.
Healthwatch says these missed referrals are causing significant frustration, unnecessary anxiety, and harm to patients, as well as increasing demand on GP services as patients continue to request appointments.
Lost or delayed referrals puts patient safety at risk
Dr Kieran Sharrock, BMA England GP committee acting chair, said these delayed and lost referrals could be partly due to “bureaucratic barriers” and an overcomplicated NHS system which is tricky to navigate.
She said: “GPs are often frustrated by the merry-go-round of new referral forms and pathways that get introduced without warning, meaning staff can be left not knowing who to send referrals to, which form to use, and how to follow it up.”
She added that missing referrals can lead to poorer outcomes for patients and suggests that the NHS system is overhauled to become “more transparent”.
“The whole NHS is under unprecedented pressure and patients are already experiencing exceptionally long waits for care. If these are then extended further by delayed or lost referrals, it can mean conditions becoming more serious, pain getting worse, and an increased need for ongoing care from GPs and other parts of the system. Patients’ uncertainty of not knowing what has happened to their referral, or when they can expect to be seen, only adds unnecessary anxiety.
“For the good of both patients and staff, the NHS needs to develop a much more transparent system so that patients know when they have been referred, who and to which department they have been referred, and how they can track the referral,” she said.
More administrative staff needed
Professor Kamila Hawthorne, Chair of the Royal College of GPs also highlights that most GP practices have measures in place to may sure referrals are not missed.
“Sometimes the referral may go to the wrong place, especially if the referral destination has changed. With current backlogs in the NHS it is quite possible for patients to be waiting for many months to be seen, and that can result in additional GP appointments by worried patients checking up on their referral status,” she said.
She added that GPs are currently working under intense pressure to tackle the backlog of care, and ensuring referrals are appropriately made will help to ease these pressures.
“We would agree with Healthwatch that the government needs to further invest in expanding the number of GPs as well as more administrative staff in general practice, such as care navigators,” she concludes.