An audit of ENT referrals assessing training needs for general practice trainees

Over 500 ENT diagnoses made by general practitioners when referring patients to one ENT department were examined and compared with the diagnoses by the specialist department. A broad grouping of the categories of referral was made and topics highlighted which seemed particularly appropriate for further postgraduate training for general practitioners.We believe the amount of postgraduate training in ENT currently available to trainees in the UK may be too low and ought to be increased and that this approach offers a logical starting point for constructing educational objectives for such training.