Delivering timely elective care is a critical priority for the NHS – clearly outlined in the NHS Long Term Plan – with a focus on reducing variation, improving access, and making smarter use of digital tools.

We know these goals remain difficult for secondary care teams to realise. Despite improvements in reducing the longest waits, the continued disconnect between primary and secondary care – particularly at the point of referral – creates delays, wastes clinical time, and makes for poor patient experience.

It’s this persistent friction point, with clinicians on both sides doing their best with the tools they have, that prevents systems from delivering on the promise of coordinated, patient-centred care.

Tools already exist to connect primary and secondary care – Gateway®.

The Referral System Isn’t Working for Clinicians

The current referral model often leaves secondary care clinicians sifting through heavy referral assessment service (RAS) lists and grappling with referrals that have landed in the wrong service or subspecialty. Referrals sometimes arrive with incomplete information, not due to oversight, but because the existing systems don’t prompt for the detail secondary care needs.

This isn’t just frustrating – it’s clinically inefficient. When referrals don’t have the right details or end up on the wrong list, secondary care is forced to play catch-up. Investigations or treatments that could have started earlier are delayed, and clinicians have less time to focus on the patients already under their care.

A Better Approach: Clinical Validation That Works for Hospitals

Gateway® is designed to address these challenges by embedding clinical validation and pathway-based referrals into the point of referral. The inbuilt pathways – defined by secondary care – give primary care the tools they need to refer by guiding them through a series of structured clinical questions. This addresses the disconnect between primary and secondary care.

Gateway® can also help reduce avoidable referrals, by presenting agreed pre-referral steps – while always preserving the referring clinician’s judgment. This means secondary care receives referrals that:

• Are directed to the correct subspecialty first time
• Contain all relevant clinical information for assessment and booking
• Adhere to local service criteria and pathway design

Gateway® Clinical Validation (Refer-OWL)

How does the Gateway® inbuilt clinical validation work?

Refer-Owl, Gateway®’s embedded clinical validation engine, guides GPs through condition-specific questions defined secondary care. Refer-Owl acts as a wise clinical intelligence partner – validating each response in real time, ensuring the referral meets local criteria, and directing it to the right clinic every time.

Refer-Owl can also highlight when primary care might want to try alternative treatment before making a referral – also defined by secondary care.

Think of Gateway® and Refer-Owl as clinical co-pilots, working seamlessly alongside clinicians to make referrals smarter, safer, and smoother for everyone. Clinical intelligence (CI), not Artificial intelligence (AI).

Saving Time, Reducing Triage, Improving Patient Flow

Take dermatology as an example. Without Gateway®, a referral might bounce between services or be held in RAS queues while secondary care determines the appropriate clinic. With Gateway®, the GP is prompted in real time to specify symptoms, severity, treatment history, and include relevant images – validated by the embedded clinical intelligence assistant, Refer-Owl.

This means referrals arrive at the right clinic – whether general dermatology or a specialist service – fully populated and immediately actionable. The impact for hospital teams is significant:

• Less time spent on triage and clarification
• Reduced risk of misdirection or repeat referrals
• Faster patient access to appropriate care
• Streamlined MDT planning and reduced admin burden

Beyond clinical benefits

In addition to streamlining clinical workflows, Gateway® offers an affordable and simpler alternative to many existing referral management systems that can be expensive and complex. By integrating directly with existing clinical systems and embedding clinical validation upfront, Gateway® reduces the need to job plan for clinical triage. Hospitals can make the most of limited resources while improving patient flow.

Gateway® enables the NHS to realise the original intention of the e-Referral system. With confidence in the clinical validation and quality of referrals, hospitals will be able to ‘switch on’ their directly bookable slots – a huge benefit to patients.

Designed With Secondary Care, Not Just For Primary Care

What makes Gateway® different is that it’s not a top-down tool pushed onto practices – it’s developed in collaboration with hospital specialists. The clinical questions, referral criteria, and pathway logic are all informed by local consultants who understand exactly what information is needed to assess and manage referrals quickly and confidently.

Secondary care doesn’t have to second-guess or chase information. Clinical validation is embedded upfront, based on their requirements.

Better for Clinicians, Better for Patients

In an overstretched system, anything that removes friction and helps clinicians focus on delivering care – not paperwork – is worth serious consideration. Gateway® does more than reduce administrative inefficiencies; it protects clinical time, improves referral accuracy, and ultimately enhances the quality-of-care patients receive.

This isn’t about shifting work – it’s about doing the right work, with the right information, at the right time.

Ready for better referrals?

It’s time to stop firefighting and start fixing. Gateway® offers a clinically led, system-designed solution that gives you what you need most: time, confidence, and control.

By improving the quality of referrals at the source, we reduce unnecessary triage, accelerate access to the right care, and help secondary care focus on what matters – treating patients.

If you’re ready to reduce triage, improve flow, and protect clinical time – Gateway® is ready to support your team. Contact us to request your demo today.