Overview

• The Government has launched a nationwide expansion of the advice and guidance scheme, enabling GPs to consult specialists online or by phone before referring patients to hospitals.
• GPs will now receive £20 for each case managed without a hospital referral, incentivizing community-based care for conditions like menopause and ENT issues.
• NHS England has allocated £80 million to extend the scheme to all GP practices, with the goal of diverting two million patients from hospital waiting lists by 2025/26.
• Between July and December 2024, 660,000 treatments were shifted to community care, a 10% increase compared to the same period in 2023, according to government data.
• While GP and patient advocacy groups welcome the initiative, concerns remain about potential delays in hospital referrals and the need for adequate resourcing to handle increased community care demands.