Neel Kothari asks why the process for referral to secondary care services in dentistry has become so complex, and what this tells us about the state of the NHS.
This may sound unbelievable, but it wasn’t that long ago when we could send a referral for NHS secondary services via a single-sided letter. Sending along a photo or radiograph was considered good form, whereas including a comprehensive medical history was a sign that the referrer was amongst the upper echelons in our profession.
Those days are long gone and now many dentists are faced with a selection of onerous forms now needed to capitulate with the processes in any given area. Often there may seem to be no rhyme or reason as to why the referral is rejected, which may include a single minor omission from an online form that could take 15-20 minutes to fill out. In my own practice we have had referrals being delayed for not filling out the patient’s GP’s details, as well as bizarre requests for a CBCT when referring for removal of wisdom teeth – even though this is clearly outside of NHS mandatory requirements.
‘Some NHS secondary services are now in crisis and we should no longer be in denial that there are barriers put up to limit the inward flow of referrals’
Can the referral pathway be fixed?
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