Rising referrals cause concern in Buckinghamshire

Data for the first quarter of 2011-12 shows that GP referrals are 5 per cent above the planned level, and 5.5 per cent above the same period last year.

First outpatient attendances are 2 per cent above planned activity but 1 per cent below the same period last year. However, total elective activity remains 4 per cent above plan, and the year before.

NHS Buckinghamshire’s quality, innovation, productivity and prevention performance report from its September board meeting said there were 2,767 first outpatient attendances after GP referral against a plan of 26,169.

Although the PCT’s QIPP plan is for an 8 per cent cut in first finished consultant episodes, “a lead-in time is required before full impact is seen”.

The number of first finished consultant episodes was 21,567 against a plan of 19,979.

There were 261 diagnostic patients wait more than six weeks, against a plan of 82.

A diagnostics recovery plan has been developed by Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust and progress is beginning to be seen with a downward trend, the report says, with 145 cases cleared from the backlog.

The report says the trust is now under weekly reporting from the Department of Health against the recovery plan, and are they continuing to tackle problem specialties, outsourcing some activity where needed.