Aims: The purpose of this study was to examine the proportion of general practitioner (GP) referrals to a hospital Respiratory Medicine clinic which might be suitable for a General Practitioner with a Special Interest (GPwSI) Respiratory Clinic.
Method: All GP referral letters to the Respiratory Medicine Department of a teaching hospital, apart from urgent cancer referrals, were identified from two two-week periods. All patient and practice identifications were removed. Two GPs and one Consultant Respiratory Physician assessed each of the anonymised referral letters to determine the patient's suitability to be seen in a GPwSI Respiratory Clinic, assuming such a clinic had a predetermined range of investigative facilities.
Results: Out of 96 referrals covering a wide range of respiratory conditions apart from lung cancer, 22 (23%) were considered by all assessors to be suitable for a GPwSI clinic, and there was full agreement that 40 referrals (42%) were unsuitable. The other 34 referrals (35%) had varying degrees of agreement on suitability. The largest groups of patient referrals considered suitable for a GPwSI clinic were those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or cough as the main presenting clinical problem. The commonest groups considered unsuitable were referrals of patients with an abnormal chest radiograph, haemoptysis, or possible interstitial lung disease.
Conclusion: This small study has shown that at least a fifth of GP referrals to a hospital Respiratory Medicine clinic could be seen in a suitably resourced GPwSI clinic, with consequent reductions in hospital outpatient waiting lists and improved accessibility for patients. This finding will be of interest to potential commissioners of GPwSI services especially with the advent of Practice-based Commissioning.