Paul Caldwell wrote:
>
> I have today had a missive from East Riding HA asking us to restrict emergency
> and routine referrals, as they are predicted to overspend, on pain of halting
> elective work. Is this ethical? How should one, or should one, do this? What
> is our legal position?
"On pain of"? Do you mean they would halt elective work already planned
for the patients of those practices who do not desist from referring
other patients for emergency treatment or simply refuse further work?
To answer your question, an emergency is an emergency.If your opinion is
that urgent treatment is required you must refer. It is then up to the
HA/Trust whether to treat.I can see no defence to the GP who fails to
refer simply because the HA/Trust has asked him not to. Refer and pass
responsibility onto the HA/Trust.
I can see we are coming to a situation in which patients are going to
need to ask GPs for the current HA/Trust referral situation whenever
presenting with an illness. Would GPs be prepared to post suitable
notices up in surgery?
Graham Ross
ALeRT
http://www.alertuk.com
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