How Cinapsis Reduces Unnecessary Outpatient Referrals

Using the Cinapsis app, GPs across Gloucestershire ICB, Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire ICB and Somerset ICB are able to connect with specialist consultants at local hospitals, to share advice and guidance to jointly decide the best pathway for the patient. Whether that is an outpatient appointment, treatment in the community or providing self-management education for the patient.

If further information is required, the GP can upload images, diagnostic information and documents. Whilst the platform enables synchronous communication (phone/video/chat) and messaging to bridge gaps in clinical communication.

Reducing variation

Through the deployment of Cinapsis, unnecessary outpatient referrals have been reduced for over 100 specialist services and conditions including, ENT, respiratory, cardiology, haematology, urology and gynaecology. The platform, integrated into clinical pathways, enables advice and guidance to be provided in under 48 hours. 

Patient safety is a key priority and as the platform is fully integrated with both primary and secondary care systems including EMIS and SystmOne, NHS Spine and eRS, meaning there are no gaps in the patient’s electronic record. 

In the past 12 months across the 3 ICBs, Cinapsis has been used 160,883 times (Nov24-Oct25).  

Outcomes

• Triaging with Cinapsis is at least twice as fast as using eRS to triage which could release clinical capacity and create efficiencies.  
• Established an educational programme to improve the standards of care across care settings.
• Reduced the pressure on secondary care in order that they can focus on critical and specialist services. 
• Manage more appropriately patients in primary care (who would have routinely been referred to secondary care).  
• Reduce unnecessary outpatient appointments for patients so they are seen in the right place at the right time. 
• Enable live monitoring of referral and associated pathway tracking. 

Signposting  

Within Cinapsis alongside synchronous/asynchronous flows there is functionality to signpost clinicians onto educational resources. For example, in partnership with Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust (AWP) both regional and national resources for mental health were consolidated enabling GPs to have relevant information in one accessible place and direct access to AWP’s mental health teams.  

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“The portability is one of the things we were really impressed by because we can use our own mobile phone and we can use the web-based version as well it gives us a lot of flexibility about where we can be. Whereas with a lot of other systems you have to be stuck at a desk and doing nothing else, we can actually go and see patients and step out if we need to take a call”.  - Dr Chris Custard, Consultant in General Medicine, Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 

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