20 April 2025, 11:46

By Dr Sonia Szamocki

I’ve been an A&E doctor. Some of the best experts in a dizzying array of medical fields work in our NHS.

The pool of skills and talent that work under its umbrella is one of the greatest resources our country has. In fact I wouldn’t have been able to do my job if I didn't have that expertise at my fingertips.

On a busy Saturday night shift I might see a dislocated shoulder, someone with a suspected heart attack and a stabbing within the first two hours; there is no way I’d have been able to provide the best care without orthopaedic, cardiac and trauma specialists available to help.

So why hasn’t this collective pool of knowledge been leveraged more widely, so that people can benefit from it before even getting to hospital?

This is the theory behind a new government initiative that ministers hope will keep two million people out of hospital by giving them access to specialist knowledge without having to be admitted.

The plan works like this: GPs will be paid to seek specialist advice themselves rather than referring their patients for appointments, blood tests or scans.

The plan is aimed at avoiding ‘unnecessary’ appointments........

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