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Family Practice Advance Access published online on March 18, 2005
Family Practice, doi:10.1093/fampra/cmi006
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© The Author (2005). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.
Received April 6, 2004
Accepted June 17, 2004

Article

Forty-eight hour access to primary care: practice factors predicting patients' perceptions

John L. Campbell 1*, Jean Ramsay 2, Judith Green 3, and Kate Harvey 4

1 Peninsula Medical School, Exeter, UK
2 Barts and the London, Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry, London E1 4NS, London, UK
3 Senior Lecturer in Medical Sociology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
4 Department of General Practice and Primary Care, GKT School of Medicine, Kings College, London, UK

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
John L. Campbell, E-mail: john.campbell{at}pms.ac.uk


  Abstract

Background. The government has proposed a 48-hour target for GP availability. Although many practices are moving towards delivering that goal, recent national patient surveys have reported a deterioration in patients' reports of doctor availability. What practice factors contribute to patients' perceptions of doctor availability?

Method. A cross sectional patient survey (11 000 patients from 54 inner London practices, 7247 (66%) respondents) using the General Practice Assessment Survey. We asked patients how soon they could be seen in their practice following non-urgent consultation requests and related their aggregated responses to the characteristics of their practice.

Results. Three factors relating to practice administration and appointments systems operation independently predicted patients' reports of doctor availability. These were the proportion of patients asked to attend the surgery and wait to be seen, the proportion of patients seen using an emergency surgery arrangement, and the extent of practice computerization.

Conclusion. Some practices may have difficulty in meeting the target for GP availability. Meeting the target will involve careful review of practice administrative procedures.

Keywords: Access; administration; appointments; availability; General Practice Assessment Questionnaire; primary care; survey.
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