Cutting out the consultant middleman
January 13, 2011
Posted by:Catherine Bell
Under new government plans GPs are to get the power to order cancer tests without having to refer the patient to a specialist consultant.
Whilst such a measure might easily be applauded as a means of reducing delays in cancer diagnosis, GPs would do well to approach this with caution.
The reasons for this are three fold:
firstly, cutting out the referral to a specialist places greater onus on the GP to identify the appropriate cancer test;
secondly, a negative cancer test may offer false reassurance to those facing other serious medical conditions;
and thirdly time spent testing for cancer before making a specialist referral could delay the diagnosis and treatment of other conditions.
To improve patient care and avoid potential medical negligence claims, GPs must be careful how they exercise this new power.