DOCTORS on Teesside are developing a scheme to support patients waiting a long time for their first out-patient appointment at South Cleveland and Middlesbrough General Hospitals.

The four Primary Care Groups on Teesside will be working with South Tees NHS Trust to identify patients who have been waiting longer than three months to see a specialist after they have been referred by their family doctor.

GPs will review each patient's case to see if their circumstances have changed. In some cases they discuss the patient's condition with them and any concerns they may have. They will be looking to establish whether the patient's condition has worsened and would warrant further investigation or whether the patient feels their condition has improved and they no longer need to keep their appointment.

Dr John Doherty, representing the primary care groups, said: "Both GPs and the hospitals are concerned that some people are having to wait longer than we would like to see a specialist.

"During this time, their situation may have changed. It is understandable that if patients have to wait a long time after referral to a specialist, they can feel that the system is abandoning them, so we are anxious to talk to them and reassure them that we are checking their referral is still appropriate and doing everything we can to get them seen quickly."