Abstract
Objective:
This study aims to assess the effectiveness of the Urology Advice and Guidance (A&G) referral pathway within the National Health Service (NHS). It seeks to identify whether the A&G system helps to prevent unnecessary referrals to secondary care services and endeavours to see whether there is any variability in consultant responses to A&G queries, and whether this affects how patients are subsequently managed.
Patients and methods:
This study uses patient data collected by Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust over a six-month period between 2016 and 2017. The correspondence from 192 A&G referrals was analysed to extract 11 data points from each referral to help analyse the aims of the study.
Results:
The results showed that almost half of all A&G referrals could be avoided if general practitioners made better use of the urology guidelines made available to them. The results also demonstrated that A&G referrals were more appropriately managed when guidance was given by a consultant with subspecialty interests in line with the referral.
Conclusion:
The aims of this study were appropriately met, and the study outlines how improvements in the A&G service could offer both financial and clinical benefits to primary and secondary care services alike.
Level of evidence:
3b
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