With any luck this is going to be a fantastic new system but I'd just add that it is worth doing your research on which specialist you want to see before seeing your GP (Alastair's FAQs are a Godsend in this respect). Because the system is new some GPs may not currently know very much about specialists outside of their own PCT. My GP's getting quite an education in that regard - I think she's almost hoping she will get another chronic back pain patient so she can show off her new knowledge