• J C Oosthuizen, D McShane, J Kinsella, and B Conlon.
• The Adelaide and Meath, Incorporating the National Children's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland, c.oosth@gmail.com.
• Ir J Med Sci. 2015 Mar 1; 184 (1): 143-6.

BackgroundDuring 2009, there were 3.3 million outpatient attendances at outpatient clinics across Ireland. Up to 20 % of these are directed towards ENT services.AimsTo determine the compliance rate of general practitioners with the ICGP referral guidelines.MethodsOne-hundred referrals received were compared to the ICGP standardised form and graded accordingly. Each referral letter was graded to a maximum of 37 points.ResultsThe average score recorded for referrals was 16/37. The referrer detail section scored the highest with a mean of 75.42 % (paediatric referrals) and 72.9 % (adult referrals). The clinical information provided demonstrated compliance rates of 34 % (paediatrics) and 35 % (adults). In total, only 32 letters made any reference to findings on examination. Both paediatric and adult referrals scored an average of 42 % when patients' details are considered.ConclusionThis study demonstrates poor compliance rates with the introduced ICGP standardised referral form, which has implications for the accurate grading of referral letters received.

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