An audit of referrals to a secondary care sedation unit

This audit was carried out to assess referrals received by a clinic treating anxious patients within a dental hospital setting. The audit aimed to provide a baseline measurement prior to the publication of a referral protocol. Referral frequencies were examined to explore the concept of serial referrers.

A retrospective design was used. The referrals of all patients given assessment appointments for treatment within the Sedation Suite between 1 January and 31 December 2006 were examined. In addition, a random sample of 100 cases was examined for the referral request.

Three hundred and six referrals were sent assessment appointments by the Sedation Suite in 2006. The majority of referrals received (76.1%, n = 233) were from practitioners working in the general dental services. On average 1.68 referrals were received per clinician, with a maximum of 18 referrals from one clinician. The majority of patients were female and had an average age of 33.5. One hundred and eighty-seven patients attended for assessment. One hundred and forty-three (46.7%) were treatment planned to receive treatment with pharmacological help. Twenty-two (7.2%) were planned to receive treatment without pharmacological help, though none of the referrals received had considered requesting behavioural management.

This audit confirmed results from previous audits. The standards set for referral were not met. Despite the efficacy of psychological treatments, referring clinicians do not seem to consider their use for anxious patients. Referral patterns seemed to support the idea that a minority of practitioners refer significantly higher numbers of patients than their peers.