Here in Germany you can go straight to a specialist. However, this is considered one of the main reasons why healthcare is so expensive. And also, due to the way things are budgeted here, appointments with specialists for non-private patients quickly become very rare and Germany spends a lot more per person on health than the UK.
On the whole I much prefer the referral by GP approach because a good GP should be able to refer to you the right specialist quickly. Digital records and more powerful practice nurses could also help here but at the end of the more resources: financial, personnel and technological are required. Won't stop the solutionists lobbying for purely virtual solutions though: you can get a free VR consultation which virtually solves your shoulder problem.
For years the Tories have been chanting the mantra of greater efficiency (listening to Yes Minister from the early 1980s is eerily prescient) meaning more can be done with less. But it never can. Outcomes only really improved and waiting lists declined when Labour started spending heavily on health, though they also fell for the dreadful PPI scams.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
