title: Audit of general practitioner referrals to an acute surgical unit.
abstract: One hundred and ninety referrals from general practitioners (GPs) to an acute surgical unit were audited prospectively over a 6-month period. A total of 78 admissions were considered inappropriate of whom 23 patients were thought to have needed neither surgical admission nor opinion. The estimated expenditure resulting from admissions deemed inappropriate was 25,000 pounds. The daytime commitments of more senior staff on routine emergency duty days meant they were not easily available to deal with calls concerning acute GP referrals. These admissions reduce the efficiency of the service; this may be improved by a senior member of the team accepting and screening GP calls.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Leicester Royal Infirmary, UK.
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Dookeran
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Lloyd
authors.forename: N W
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Everson
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004739:England; D005194:Family Practice / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006300:Health Services Misuse / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013503:Surgery Department, Hospital / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014600:Utilization Review / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*