Referral to hospital: perceptions of patients, general practitioners and consultants about necessity and suitability of referral.

A sample of new referrals from general practitioners to hospital specialists was examined from the points of view of the patient, general practitioner and consultant concerned with regard to the adequacy of the general practitioners' performance before referral, his ability to have managed without referral and the suitability of the specialist seen. Little agreement was found between the opinions expressed by the three groups, although some of the opinions expressed within the groups were found to be associated with characteristics of the groups.