AAA screening (bottom line; it’s complicated. If you are considering having it done, I’d recommend spending a bit of time on some of the excellent resources NHS Screening offer.)

http://aaa.screening.nhs.uk/searchwebsite.php?searchstring=tag:Leaflets

http://aaa.screening.nhs.uk/patientfilms

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=GEuBrMCevo0

http://aaa.screening.nhs.uk/questions

http://www.bmj.com/content/338/bmj.b2307

Referral management centres (bottom line; referrals

BJGP research paper; they don’t reduce referrals and are more expensive

http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/rcgp/bjgp/2013/00000063/00000611/art00036

Referral rates are influenced by deprivation

http://www.bmj.com/content/314/7092/1458

Proportion of PCTs using referral management

http://www.hsj.co.uk/resource-centre/best-practice/nhs-referral-management-how-to-get-it-right/5020137.article

Harmoni and their “Consultant Supported Healthcare Professionals”

http://www.harmoni.co.uk/referral-management-centres

..and criticism of same http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/gateways-using-nurses-to-screen-gp-referrals/12511567.article#.Ue2Elfmmg1I

and axed in Manchester because ‘too expensive’ http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/gps-axe-remote-referral-gateway-run-by-private-firm/13560309.article#.Ue2Ervmmg1I

Warnings that we didn’t have evidence of benefit for referral management centres back in 2006

http://www.bmj.com/content/332/7545/844

and 2010. http://www.kingsfund.org.uk/sites/files/kf/Referral-management-lessons-for-success-Candace-Imison-Chris-Naylor-Kings-Fund-August2010.pdf.

Iona Heath on this, superb as usual. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1432209/