What is the necessary step to access secondary care?

To access secondary care, a referral from a primary care practitioner is essential. This process exemplifies the typical structure of healthcare systems in many countries where primary care serves as the first point of contact for patients. Primary care providers, such as general practitioners, assess the patient's health issues and determine whether they require specialized treatment, which falls under secondary care provided by specialists (like cardiologists or orthopedists).

The referral is important because it ensures that the patient is appropriately assessed and the need for specialized services is justified. It also helps manage healthcare resources effectively by preventing unnecessary consultations and ensuring that specialists are only consulted when genuinely needed. Many healthcare systems also integrate this referral process to streamline patient care and maintain continuity between different levels of care.

Other options like self-referral, online appointment booking, or walk-in services may provide varying forms of access to healthcare, but they do not specifically qualify as the established procedure to enter secondary care, which fundamentally relies on a primary care practitioner's recommendation.