Following the success of our initial pilot in January 2024 where 1,000 neurology referrals were triaged in one NHS hospital, the service expanded through to March 2025 with more than 3,000 neurology referrals triaged. NHS neurology consultants from our National Consultant Network (NCN) remotely reviewed new neurology referrals coming through the front door.
An analysis after the initial pilot showcases the service’s long-term impact in reducing waiting lists, with under 6% of patients on the waiting list having to be re-referred following initial management plans.
This latest data gives us an even more accurate representation of the service’s impact and benefits, which reduced the hospital’s neurology waiting list by 45%.
In numbers:
- 3,078 neurology referrals were triaged, resulting in 1,551 (51%) being removed from the waiting list the majority of these referrals (46%) were returned to their GPs with a management plan and the remaining 5% were redirected to care of the elderly
- returned to their GPs with a management plan.
- Of these 1,402 referrals, 362 were re-referred by their GP several weeks later and re-triaged by the NHS consultants on our network.
- Given the nature of some re-referrals (e.g., the management plan did not have the desired result, and/or the patient had been waiting several months already), 184 of these referrals were accepted for a routine outpatient appointment.
- The remaining 178 referrals were returned to their GPs with a new management plan.
The hospital’s neurology waiting list was reduced by 45% overall.
If you have any questions or would like more information about how our Referral Triage service could support your area, call us on 01865 261 467 or email hello@consultantconnect.org.uk
Related materials:
