https://club.hcqc.co.uk/c/self-audits/edit-lesson/sections/517639/lessons/2458843
Managing in-practice test results is something most practices have refined over time — but what about the results that originate outside your building?
When a consultant orders an MRI, or a community clinic sends a patient for bloods, or a referral leads to diagnostics, it’s easy to assume the loop will be closed. But in reality, many practices find themselves missing key results, or only discovering them much later — often when a patient chases or something goes wrong.
Why This Audit Is Important
This audit shines a spotlight on a common blind spot: external investigations where your practice may still carry responsibility — legally, clinically, or morally — for following up. The risks are real:
- Unreceived results that are assumed to be with the patient
- Delayed actions on abnormal findings
- No system for tracking what’s been ordered by someone else
It’s a weak point in many systems — not out of neglect, but because ownership is often unclear. This audit is here to change that.
And it couldn’t be more timely.
“General practice capacity is absolutely pushed to the max. And yet, we’re being asked to take responsibility for things that fall outside our contract — sometimes for work others are commissioned and paid to do.”
But we take it on. Not because it’s fair. Not because it’s funded. Because it’s about patient safety.
Imagine this real-world scenario:
- A patient is seen at A&E.
- A routine x-ray is arranged.
- A discharge summary lands in your inbox:
“Patient to attend x-ray in 2 days. Please follow up results.”
But what if:
- The patient doesn’t attend?
- The result never arrives?
- Nobody notices?
ED isn’t responsible once the patient walks out. So who is?
Your practice. Every time.
✅ What This Audit Helps You Do
- Identify how external investigations are logged and followed up
- Review how responsibility is assigned between admin and clinical teams
- Ensure patients are not left in limbo waiting for results
- Close the loop with external services, so nothing gets missed
Because patients don’t track where one provider ends and another begins. And neither should your safety systems.
💬 Final Thoughts
“All of this feels like totally uncommissioned work. But it keeps our patients safe.”
The CQC won’t ask who commissioned the work. They’ll ask what your system did when a result never came back.
This audit helps you answer that with confidence.
Good results handling isn’t just about what’s in your inbox — it’s about what should be in your inbox and isn’t. This audit gives you a framework to assess that, improve it, and provide safe, joined-up care.
Because patients don’t see boundaries between providers — and neither should your systems.
