Outcome following discharge from an ENT out-patient clinic: patient and general practitioner satisfaction

Fifty consecutive patients discharged from clinic were assessed by questionnaire at the time of discharge and 6 months later. Each patient's practitioner (GP) was sent a questionnaire at 6 months. On discharge, 12.5% of patients would have preferred another appointment and 7.5% were unhappy at being discharged. After 6 months 14% would have preferred ENT follow-up. Twenty-six per cent of patients said they saw their GP within 6 months of discharge with symptoms related to their initial ENT complaint. From the GP questionnaire the proportion was 31.5%. General practitioners were happy to manage the patients themselves and only one patient was seen again in the ENT department within 6 months. In no case did the GP feel discharge to be premature. Pre-reading of notes leading to an increase in the proportion of patients discharged from ENT clinics does not result in more discharges being premature or inappropriate. The majority of patients and general practitioners are happy for ongoing medical care to be continued without further ENT appointments if the nature of the condition and its long-term management is explained clearly.