THE number of patients waiting for a specialist outpatient’s appointment at Toowoomba Hospital has been slashed by more than one-third in just over 12 months. GP liaison officer Dr Debbie Carroll credited the reduction in numbers to a team effort based around consistent processes and the provision of relevant information to local GPs to assist them with providing good quality referrals. Dr Carroll said there had also been a lot of effort on the part of the medical staff in seeing patients in clinics and providing quality care. “At around this time last year the waiting list for a specialist outpatient’s appointment was sitting at 11,664 and now it’s down to 7745, a reduction of almost 34 per cent,” Dr Carroll said. “In that time we have taken steps to develop referral guidelines for GPs to assist them when referring patients so as to ensure the patient is ready and appropriate for the care that’s required. “To avoid unnecessary waiting for patients, we try to ensure that GPs, particularly those new to the area, are aware of exactly what services are available here and how their patients can access them. “I should also mention the excellent work of the Central Referral Unit, which was established in April 2013. “The team in the unit make sure referrals are processed correctly and if a referral does not contain sufficient information, they let the GP know exactly what is required.” Dr Carroll said the delivery of appropriate information had been a key factor in bringing waiting list numbers down.