Referral between Consultants

Gael23

Can one Consultant refer a patient to another or do you need to always go through a GP? I've been seeing one and he thinks my problem is linked with another speciality so I was wondering can he pass me on to the relevant consultant himself?

Spook_ie

Absolutely yes, its very common for a Consultant to refer you to another Consultant and no need to go through your GP. Just get your consultant to send a letter.

masterboy123

Hmm, 50-50.

For example, i wanted to refer my patient to a Endocrinologist, so I wrote a letter to the GP to please refer this patient to Endo team. But at the same time, if i knew endo consultant, i could have refered myself.

etymon

I referred someone to a private clinic for an ECG, routine. They pay 75 quid for this!!! I am an intern. They rang me up giving out saying a consultant should do all referrals…. the patient declined to give them the business.

Abby19

Gael23 wrote: »

Can one Consultant refer a patient to another or do you need to always go through a GP? I've been seeing one and he thinks my problem is linked with another speciality so I was wondering can he pass me on to the relevant consultant himself?

I suppose it depends on whether the original consultant is willing to follow up on the findings. Whoever orders tests should really follow up on them, and they may feel that by getting the GP to order them then they are kept in the loop and thus able to coordinate with whatever other specialists that patient sees.

If it is a second opinion or related to original condition then they should probably do so, but if an incidental finding of something unrelated it could be lost to follow up if the GP is not linked in. They could be discharging you from their care saying it isn't related to their field, and thus no longer involved in your care in the future. Or the consultant might only wish to write one letter back to GP and leave to them to arrange.

Gael23

Abby19 wrote: »

I suppose it depends on whether the original consultant is willing to follow up on the findings. Whoever orders tests should really follow up on them, and they may feel that by getting the GP to order them then they are kept in the loop and thus able to coordinate with whatever other specialists that patient sees.

If it is a second opinion or related to original condition then they should probably do so, but if an incidental finding of something unrelated it could be lost to follow up if the GP is not linked in. They could be discharging you from their care saying it isn't related to their field, and thus no longer involved in your care in the future. Or the consultant might only wish to write one letter back to GP and leave to them to arrange.

Im not going to get into it too much in case its seen as medical advice. Basically the story is the constant my GP referred me to thinks that the problem I presented to him is secondary to another, so he wants what he believes to be the original issue investigated by the relevant specialist.

Mrs OBumble

Abby19 wrote: »

I suppose it depends on whether the original consultant is willing to follow up on the findings. Whoever orders tests should really follow up on them, and they may feel that by getting the GP to order them then they are kept in the loop and thus able to coordinate with whatever other specialists that patient sees.

If it is a second opinion or related to original condition then they should probably do so, but if an incidental finding of something unrelated it could be lost to follow up if the GP is not linked in. They could be discharging you from their care saying it isn't related to their field, and thus no longer involved in your care in the future. Or the consultant might only wish to write one letter back to GP and leave to them to arrange.

That's just a make-work scheme for doctors, and a make-poor scheme for patients.

There's nothing to say that the consultant cannot simultaneously refer you to another consultant and drop a quick note to the GP saying that's what they've done. (And in fact, this just what a consultant has done for me very recently.)

Splendour

I am attending a Neurologist and he had no problem in referring me to an Endocrinologist-at my request. The Endo then passed the results back to the Neuro and he went through them with me at my next appointment.

Gael23

Splendour wrote: »

I am attending a Neurologist and he had no problem in referring me to an Endocrinologist-at my request. The Endo then passed the results back to the Neuro and he went through them with me at my next appointment.

Were the results sent to your GP also?

Splendour

I presume they were. I have letters from the Neurology clinic that were sent to my GP over the past few years- I wrote to the Neurology clinic and asked for copies to be sent to me. So given that the Neuro has been keeping my GP in the loop with regard to all things 'Neuro' I don't see why he wouldn't have sent info about my Endo appointment.

I didn't request a copy of a follow up with Endo myself as all tests were clear.

If you feel there may be a problem with communication between a consultant and a GP just get a copy of the outcome of appointment with consultant and forward it to your GP yourself.

Hope this makes sense!

Gael23

I've an appointment with my current consultant in 2 weeks so I'll just have to see if he still has the same opinion. I told his secretary that he felt my problem has roots elsewhere and she said she receives referrals from consultants to him all the time so it seems there isn't an issue with it. I do think that my GP should know because he's the one going to be doing most of the follow up.

Traumadoc

Medical council came out with a " cross referral " is a no- no a few years ago , but have back tracked significantly once it was pointed out that hundreds of patients with fractures would have to go back to their GPs to be referred to fracture clinics.

Still a lot of confusion.