In a letter yesterday, NHSE said ‘there is no national target for specialists, trusts or general practice to divert a fixed proportion of referrals away from hospital care'.

NHSE added: ‘The objective is simply to identify the most appropriate next step for each patient, based on specialist assessment and triage at speciality or sub-specialty level. The figure quoted relates to an estimate of the potential proportion of patients, including those who are the subject of an A&G enquiry, who could be appropriately assessed and supported by a specialist consultant without a hospital outpatient appointment. It is not the proportion of referrals to be sent back to general practice.'

The announcement came after GPs were asked to cut referrals by 25% from 1 April.

A BMA spokesperson said: ‘Following the GP contract referendum in March, which overwhelmingly rejected the Government's imposed GMS contract for 2026/27, we have been in productive talks with DHSC and NHS England to address the profession's concerns.

‘With a clear mandate from the profession to proceed with collective action if those concerns were not addressed, we welcome the Government's decision to change its approach to advice and guidance in a way that reflects and reassures the primary concerns of GPs. However, our ask on unlimited and unsafe patient demand remains outstanding. Talks are continuing as we seek a resolution, but we reserve the right to escalate to collective action beyond this date, from 1 May 2026, if a resolution is not reached.'

Professor Victoria Tzortziou Brown, president of the Royal College of GPs, added: ‘We are pleased that NHS England has listened to the concerns of GPs - raised by the college and others - and has clarified that they will not introduce a rigid 25% target for Advice and Guidance use prior to referral. Doing so would have risked increasing workload in general practice at a time when GPs and our teams are already working under significant pressures, and creating barriers to appropriate and timely patient care. The college recognises A&G can be beneficial when implemented appropriately, so a more flexible approach that supports clinical judgement and keeps patients' individual needs at its centre is encouraging.'