Pulse’s exclusive story on GPs having to peer review all referrals has been picked up in most of the major national newspapers, including the front page of the Daily Mail.

The story, which Pulse obtained through a leaked document, revealed that NHS England is incentivising CCGs to implement the new systems, which will see GPs having to review colleague’s referrals on a weekly basis to ensure they are appropriate. This is in a bid to cut the numbers of referrals.

Pulse also discovered that CCGs are already formulating plans to compel GPs to peer review referrals on a weekly basis.

The BMA said weekly meetings would be ‘equivalent to removing 1,000 GPs from the English workforce, GPs we don’t have’.

The nationals – including the Times, the Mail, the Guardian, and the Sun- focused on the disruption to patients, as such a move would delay treatment at a time when waiting lists are already lengthening.