Let specialists extend GP referrals after they expire, says thinktank
The Deeble Institute for Health Policy Research estimates at least a third of GP referrals are 'repeats'
Specialists should be allowed to extend the expiry date on formal referrals from GPs when they consider the patient requires their on-going care, a leading healthcare thinktank says.
Canberra's Deeble Institute claims that of the 15 million referrals written by GPs each year, at least one third are repeats needed purely because a previous referral had expired.
This 'paperwork' was usually being driven by demands from non-GP specialists for new referrals so they could claim initial consult MBS items which attract higher rebates.