The Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
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In a three-month audit of referrals to consultants by 18 general practitioners, a wide variation in individual doctor's referral rates was observed. The rate for private referral varied between doctors to a remarkable degree. ⋯ Private referrals were perceived by the doctors to have been no less worth-while than NHS referrals. The holding of private health insurance by patients was a factor in a third of private referrals.