General practice plays a central role in ensuring patients receive a timely and accurate diagnosis, either directly from a GP or from an appropriate specialist as a consequence of a GP referral. Failure, or delay, in correctly identifying and referring patients who need secondary care can have profound clinical consequences. To inform its work, the Inquiry panel commissioned a research project to examine what good-quality diagnosis and referral by general practice looks like, and how it can be measured. This report looks at variations across general practice, and identifies evidence-based ways to improve the quality of this core aspect of GP care.
This paper was commissioned by The King’s Fund to inform the panel of the Inquiry into the Quality of General Practice in England. The views expressed are those of the authors and not of the panel.