Clinical Audit of Referral Trends and Management Outcomes in Paediatric Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at a Tertiary Centre

Introduction: Efficient referral pathways are crucial for prompt and exceptional paediatric surgical care. This audit evaluates the trend, demography and outcomes of paediatric referrals to Royal Hallamshire Hospital’s Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery department (OMFS). The understanding of referral patterns allows for strategic resource allocation, enforces evidence-based planning and streamlines patient centred care by developing data-driven referral pathways.

Methods: A retrospective audit was conducted involving 649 paediatric patients referred to our institution over a 12-month period (August 2024 to July 2025). The data was categorised according to referral source, date, clinical indication and subsequent management. The data was analysed using descriptive statistic and graphical representation for ease of interpretation.

Results: Preliminary analysis revealed a sizeable variation in referral sources and clinical indications. A notable portion of referrals originate from Sheffield Children’s Hospital (65%) with laceration (49%) being the major indication of referral. Majority of paediatric patients underwent admission and surgery at 39% followed by treatment under local anaesthesia (LA) at 19%. This audit also indicates the highest frequency of referrals are in the month of May at 86, inversely February reported the lowest frequency at 29.

Conclusion: The trend demonstrates significant seasonal variation and potential over-referral in certain categories. This audit emphasizes the need for closer cooperation and clear communication channels between primary care providers, district hospitals and other tertiary centres. The findings provide actionable insights to guide resource allocation, informed decision making and infrastructure development. Enhanced triage protocols, appropriate staff education, and adequate manpower could mitigate unnecessary hospital referrals and encourages timely interventions of high priority cases.