Intended for healthcare professionals

Rapid response to:

Views & Reviews Personal View

Outpatient follow-up ratio targets make no sense

BMJ 2011; 342 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.c7373 (Published 05 January 2011) Cite this as: BMJ 2011;342:c7373

Rapid Response:

Making sense of New : FU ratio

I for one believe there is a value in monitoring N:F ratios as from
my experience at least in gynaecology the number of follow-ups could be
reduced by better results management and systems in place to communicate
with GPs. Reducing FU and moving this to the GP will be one way of making
savings for the health economy as a whole and makes it more efficient.

Consultants will have to modify behaviour for this to happen and they will
if they have confidence in sytems that will replace the traditional review
appointment is situations where appropriate.

Meena Shankar

Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist

Kingston Hospital KT1 7QB

Competing interests: No competing interests

10 February 2011
Meena Shankar
Obstetrician and Gynaecologist
Kingston Hospital NHS Trust