Ka. Dookeran et al., AUDIT OF GENERAL-PRACTITIONER REFERRALS TO A SURGICAL ASSESSMENT UNIT- NEW METHODS TO IMPROVE THE EFFICIENCY OF THE ACUTE SURGICAL SERVICE, British Journal of Surgery, 83(11), 1996, pp. 1544-1547
A total of 653 referrals from general practitioners to an acute surgic
al service were audited prospectively over a period of 4 months. Middl
e-grade staff accepting these referrals were able to deal with 182 (27
.9 per cent) of these calls without surgical admission. A further 189
(28.9 per cent) referrals were seen on a surgical assessment unit and
were not admitted to a surgical ward. The resultant cost saving was ap
proximately pound 10 000. This confirms that the ready provision of an
experienced surgical opinion in combination with early assessment can
reduce the number of unnecessary acute surgical admissions referred f
rom general practitioners.