Scottish Access Collaborative: ENT Specialty Group Report 

Members of the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Speciality Group came from more than 20
different specialists’ areas and 11 different NHS Board areas, giving the Specialty Group
both a broad geographic and functional reach. The first step for the workshops was to identify common ENT patient symptoms, noting their importance. Issues were mapped for each symptom and areas to focus on agreed. Further discussion around these
focus areas led to suggestions for sustainable improvement. These included agreement of standard pathways in ENT and support for referrals including supporting information and patient questionnaires to record symptom histories. Improvements aimed at retaining and growing specialists in ENT, coupled with enhancement in the role
of Audiologists, were also recorded. A joint pathway with Respiratory was suggested along with pathways aimed at offering reassurance where no further diagnostics were necessary.

Work to further scope these improvements will be undertaken in the coming months allowing a prioritisation process to take place through the Scottish Access Collaborative (SAC). Future work will involve national support to ensure the ENT community, along
with primary care partners, are supported to make the necessary changes to ensure efficient and effective patient pathways are achieved. It is envisaged that the work areas will be taken forward either through the ENT community itself or for broader issues which are not specialty specific, be achieved through the SAC Combined Action Group (CAG).