And he’s surprised at the stature of GPs there:
Now the time you wait can vary, depending on the nature of your coverage and your options, but you need a referral from a GP to see a specialist. No exceptions.
As a result, the GP has a lot of standing — and a far more influential role — in the British health care system than a GP has in the US system. And therefore, there are more GPs than there are specialists (I think the numbers were something like 60/40 GPs to Consultants) — which is just the opposite of the US — where we have 30 GPs for every 70 specialists.
I asked several speakers if giving people direct access to specialists — as they have in this country — would make a difference. They all said “hugely.”
Of course, health plans in the US are working away from the PCP-referral model, as the “gatekeeper” concept failed miserably. In fact, Medicare doesn’t require referrals at all.
