Clinical commissioning groups across Pennine Lancashire have launched a new scheme aimed at improving the quality of patient referrals and reducing referral rates.
The referral quality plan has been developed by members of the six CCGs across Pennine Lancashire to support hospital services in managing the demand generated by patient referrals from GPs.
The aim is to improve the quality of care patients receive and change the approach to referring patients on to other services, predominantly hospital care through professionals reviewing referrals and using a series of new tools to help GPs when they refer patients
The work has been led by the Pennine Lancashire Demand Management Group and will be rolled out in two phases – a ‘soft launch’ which took place in November, when CCGs were asked to sign up to the basic principles behind the scheme, followed by the development of new referral tools for GPs to use over the next couple of years.
The scheme will see the introduction of peer review, which is where GPs and other health professionals review the care that they are providing, and which may be carried out internally through GP practices or involve external clinicians. This process will be trialled first in for musculo-skeletal services and orthopaedic services - and later for pain management services.
To support this, new tools including template referral proformas and guidelines to aid referral decisions will be developed. Education sessions around referral thresholds and new treatments will also be provided. GPs will be able to choose which of the new tools they want to use.
In an innovative development, the referral quality scheme will also see a new emphasis on shared decision making with patients. Patients will be encouraged to use NHS Direct decision aids so they feel more involved in their own care and both patients and their GP can make better decisions about whether to have a hospital procedure or not.
The SHA improvement organisation AQUA (Advancing Quality Alliance) is supporting the development of the scheme.
Chair of the Pennine Lancashire Demand Management Programme Board, Dr Malcolm Ridgway, said: “We believe that we can reduce referrals into the secondary sector by 5% by ensuring best practice, appropriate use of alternative or existing pathways and by working together with our clinical colleagues, both in primary and secondary care.”
Lead GP for Burnley Clinical Commissioning Group and East Lancashire (PCT) Clinical Lead for Urgent Care. Dr David White, said: ''This builds ongoing collaborative work between primary and secondary care in Pennine Lancashire.
“Our aim is to develop a menu of practical tools that practitioners and the local healthcare organisations can choose from to maximize referral quality. Many of these will support continuing professional development and appraisal portfolios.
“We hope this scheme will result in improved patient journeys, patients feeling better enabled to take decisions about their healthcare and improved patient outcomes. It should also help us to make the best use of limited health resources.”
A lead from each practice will be invited to an engagement and education event on 12 January 2012 (1.00pm – 5.00pm at Clayton Park). More information about this will be sent out shortly.
