Online referral system for cancer cases rolled out

Patients will not ever again get lost in the system, health chiefs have promised after launching a national online GP referral system.

The computerised system, which can send a patient’s details, symptoms and GPs’ observations to hospital and receive acknowledgement within minutes, is now available for suspected cases of breast, lung and prostate cancer.

It is to be expanded over time to include all cancers and other conditions where a GP wants a patient referred to a consultant.