Outrage as patients who may have cancer will NOT be referred to hospital ‘unless urgent’

tunisante August 9, 2016 Health

St Helen’s Clinical Commissioning Group is facing a £12.5m funding gap
Has proposed banning non-urgent referrals for 4 months to save money
CCG refused to give examples of what is considered a non-urgent referral
BMA: It is unacceptable people are denied healthcare due to money issues
Said patients with vague symptoms go on to be diagnosed with cancer

Madlen Davies for MailOnline

Published:
07:35 EST, 9 August 2016

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Updated:
09:07 EST, 9 August 2016

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Doctors may be banned from referring patients with potentially life-limiting illnesses to hospital unless it is urgent, under new plans from NHS body.

St Helen’s Clinical Commissioning Group has drawn up the plans in a bid to cope with rising demand and falling funds.

Under the proposal, GPs will not be allowed to send any patients to hospital for tests or to see a specialist unless it is vital they are assessed immediately.

Commenting on the announcement, doctors leaders branded the move ‘unacceptable’ and called on the Government to take action.

The British Medical Association said cancer patients are often diagnosed after being sent for tests due to vague symptoms that are not considered medically urgent.

St Helen’s Clinical Commissioning Group may ban doctors from referring patients to local hospitals unless it is urgent – in a bid to cope with rising demand and falling funds (file photo)

St Helen’s Clinical Commissioning Group said ‘clinically urgent referrals, suspected cancer and referrals for sick children will not be included and will be referred as normal’.

But any referral of patients with vague symptoms, that is planned or not considered emergency will be banned for four months.

It is also suspending:

Gluten-free foods
Specialist fertility services to people under 37
Referrals for over-the-counter medication such as painkillers, cough and cold remedies
Antihistamines and some skin conditions.

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The CCG is facing a £12.5 million funding gap over the coming year and will have to raise £17.5m next year.

A spokesman said he knew the move ‘would not be popular’ but said the CCGs financial black hole is so wide it may soon have to withdraw other healthcare services to cope.

MailOnline has asked the CCG for a list of referrals considered non-urgent as definitions differ between organisations. But a spokeswoman today declined to give concrete examples for fear of ‘bad headlines’.

Doctors leaders branded the move ‘unacceptable’ and said it could lead to cancer diagnoses being delayed (file photo)

In a statement, the BMA said that ‘it cannot be right that the public will be effectively denied access to healthcare because the local CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group) has run out of money’.

The BMA said that proposal to suspend all non-essential hospital referrals for four months was ‘another sign of how desperately under-funded the NHS is’ as it called on ministers to ‘step up their commitment to resolving this crisis’.

The proposal, from the Merseyside NHS body, is part of a bid to help hospitals cope with increased demand during the winter at a time when they have simultaneously been dealing with a large funding gap.

NHS England rated the CCG ‘inadequate’ in its 2015-16 annual assessment.

Commenting on the news, Dr Richard Vautrey, deputy chair of the BMA’s GP committee, said patients who are diagnosed with cancer are often initially sent for tests that are not deemed urgent.

He said: ‘This is an unacceptable decision which highlights the incredible financial pressure facing general practice and its impact on patient care.

‘It cannot be right that the public will be effectively denied access to healthcare because the local CCG has run out of money.

‘What apparently may not be urgent at first presentation and is therefore not referred could turn out to be very serious in the long term.

‘Many cases of cancer are subsequently diagnosed following routine referrals of patients who have undifferentiated symptoms early on in their illness.

‘The cost to the health service of delaying referrals could ultimately be much greater in the long term as more complex and costly problems develop as a result.

‘This is yet another sign of how desperately under-funded the NHS now is and how the Government needs to step up its commitment to resolving this crisis.’

The CCG is facing a £12.5 million funding gap over the coming year and said the move would stop it having to close down other vital services (file photo)

CCG lay chair Geoffrey Appleton said: ‘To explain it in simple terms, imagine our NHS budget is your household budget and every year the cost of living goes up but your salary doesn’t increase; the result is money becomes tighter and tighter.

‘Now imagine another relative comes to live with you and because of their health needs are unable to work and cannot contribute financially. How would you manage?’

He added: ‘Although we are trying to make as many efficiency savings as we can (buying the same or similar services for less and reducing waste), our funding gap is so large we know these measures alone will not bring a resolution and we are faced with the prospect of proposing to suspend, reduce or withdraw certain services.

‘We recognise these proposals will not be popular but we will be involving those who want to have their say in the discussions and we welcome your thoughts about how we should be making cost savings.’

The proposal, along with another to put a two-year suspension on IVF services for patients aged under 37, is under public consultation until October 5.

The NHS England regional office will review the proposals before a decision is made because of the CCG’s inadequate rating.

An NHS spokeswoman said: ‘Decisions when prioritising resources are always very difficult for commissioners but it is up to CCGs to make the best decisions for their area and work with hospitals to plan and manage demand over winter.

‘St Helens CCG is actively engaging with its local population on the best way to ensure patients have their care prioritised over the busy months for the NHS.

‘The 18-week target is a national objective which all CCGs and hospitals should be striving to meet.’