One of the issues raised about colonoscopy access by Otago GPs has been confusion about what does and does not qualify for a referral and who is actually making the decisions.
A report issued to all Otago GPs yesterday said all requests for colonoscopy were read by one of the consultants, usually Dr Martin Schlup, weekly.
He then collated them and sent them out to the other members of the colonoscopy panel - Dr Schlup, Dr Michael Schultz, Dr Ralf Lubcke and Mr Thompsom-Fawcett.
Panel members decided independently on whether the patient should have a colonoscopy.
If there was a unanimous yes an appointment was made directly and three gradings allocated. The most urgent would be performed within one or two weeks, with the least urgent within three months.
Where panel members could not agree on a grading it would be discussed by the panel, which met at least fortnightly.
Then more information might be requested or the patient would be booked into a hospital clinic for review.
If there was unanimous agreement a colonoscopy was not considered appropriate, a letter was sent to the referer.
Requests from the GPs went directly to the panel.
Some patients were transferred directly on to the list and retrospectively approved if they had shown up elsewhere in the hospital as an urgent case or a suspicion of cancer showed in a barium enema.
