Migliaia di pazienti in Inghilterra sono a rischio mentre i referti del medico di famiglia svaniscono nel “buco nero” del NHS
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/dec/07/referrals-black-hole-means-patients-in-england-miss-out-on-healthcare-finds-watchdog
di PurchaseDry9350
5 commenti
“One in seven people in England who need hospital care are not receiving it because the referral by their GP gets lost, rejected or delayed, the NHS’s own patient watchdog has found.
Three-quarters (75%) of these patients trapped in this “referrals black hole” suffer harm to their physical or mental health as a result of not being added to the waiting list for tests or treatment.”
Not good enough.
On several occasions I’ve discovered that a GP referral was never made, which is unacceptable in any profession. Yet, the perceived status of holding a title seems to excuse it. There should be no excuse for this, nor the general delays that plague the NHS system.
I also don’t like the term ‘black hole’ as it implies escapism from responsibility. It’s not a black hole that’s the problem it’s a system broken from top to bottom
It really does need a massive overhaul. There needs to be an online portal so people can track their referrals more easily.
A lot of it seems to be the trust system resulting in different trusts having entirely different systems and not communicating properly as a result.
In my case the NHS ‘black hole’ was a referral sent to a defunct email address. Communication desperately needs an overhaul in the NHS. It’s so much easier now I can view test results online. There needs to be something similar for tracking referrals.
Seems to be going well, wouldn’t it be a good idea to employ the junior Doctors that we’ve spent hundreds of thousands of pounds training?
Just a thought. The GP Surgeries wouldn’t be put in the position they are now if there was more resource.
unpopular opinion , in cases of long waits, then there should be the option of the state giving a health voucher for the people to go private with no extra cost