The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
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Clinical guidelines recommend that patients admitted to hospital for asthma attacks are reviewed in primary care following hospital discharge. ⋯ A significant proportion of patients do not receive timely follow-up in primary care following asthma-related admissions to hospital, particularly among Black ethnic minority groups.
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Cancer incidence increases with age, so some clinical guidelines include patient age as one of the criteria used to decide whether a patient should be referred through the urgent suspected cancer (USC) pathway. Little is known about how strictly GPs adhere to these age criteria and what factors might influence their referral decisions for younger patients. ⋯ While most GPs interpret age criteria flexibly and follow their own judgement and experience when making clinical decisions regarding younger patients, system constraints may be a barrier to timely investigation.