Referrals for specialist treatment – is the system working?

Have you had a referral from your GP for tests, diagnosis or treatment in the last 12 months? How many appointments did it take for you to get your referral? How long were you waiting? Did you have any support while you waited?

2023 research from Healthwatch England found evidence of a referrals “black hole”. People were left waiting without information or any updates on how their referral was moving forward, with many sharing stories of how their referral failed, forcing them to revisit their GP or go to busy A&E departments for help. So have things improved?

We’d love to hear from you –this short national online survey should only take 15-20 minutes to complete and will be invaluable for highlighting what’s working and what’s not, and helping Healthwatch England to call for the changes that are still needed to help people get the right care. The more people we hear from here in Surrey the more we can make a difference at a local level.

For further information on GP practices visit our website or call our Helpdesk.