Table 3.
Mean NHS costs (£) nine months after randomisation for general practitioner with specialist care or hospital outpatient care for non-urgent skin problems
| Resource item | General practitioner with special interest group (n=354) | Hospital outpatient group (n=202) |
|---|---|---|
| Hospital consultations: | ||
| Doctor | 8.26 | 66.99 |
| nurse | 0.36 | 0.54 |
| General practitioner with special interest service consultations: | ||
| General practitioner | 121.06 | 0 |
| Nurse | 11.26 | 0 |
| Total specialist care | 140.94 | 67.53 |
| Visit to doctor's surgery | 13.79 | 11.95 |
| Home visit by general practitioner | 0.05 | 0 |
| Surgery visit to practice nurse | 2.85 | 1.69 |
| Home visit by district nurse | 0.17 | 0 |
| Total primary care | 16.86 | 13.63 |
| Total consultations | 157.80 | 81.16 |
| Investigations: | ||
| Biochemistry | 0.06 | 0.07 |
| Haematology | 0.32 | 0.12 |
| Histopathology | 7.65 | 4.84 |
| Immunology | 0.04 | 0.07 |
| Microbiology | 0.08 | 0.28 |
| Mycology | 0.51 | 0.68 |
| Patch test | 4.27 | 6.16 |
| Radiology | 0.13 | 0.07 |
| Skin prick test | 0.27 | 0 |
| Virology | 0 | 0.05 |
| Total | 13.33 | 12.33 |
| Treatments | ||
| PUVA course: | ||
| Provided by general practitioner with special interests | 0 | 0 |
| Provided by hospital | 1.73 | 0.50 |
| Excision: | ||
| Provided by general practitioner with special interests | 1.02 | 0 |
| Provided by hospital | 0 | 0.55 |
| Incisional biopsy: | ||
| Provided by general practitioner with special interests | 0.56 | 0 |
| Provided by hospital | 0.22 | 0.16 |
| Punch biopsy: | ||
| Provided by general practitioner with special interests | 0.99 | 0 |
| Provided by hospital | 0.04 | 0.55 |
| Curettage and cautery: | ||
| Provided by general practitioner with special interests | 1.00 | 0 |
| Provided by hospital | 0 | 0.28 |
| Triamcinolone acetonide injection: | ||
| Provided by general practitioner with special interests | 0.02 | 0 |
| Provided by hospital | 0 | 0 |
| Hosiery: | ||
| Provided by general practitioner with special interests | 0.01 | 0 |
| Provided by hospital | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 5.61 | 2.04 |
| Specialist care drugs | 22.22 | 12.26 |
| Primary care drug | 8.95 | 10.34 |
| Total cost to NHS | 207.91 | 118.13 |
PUVA=psoralens plus long wave ultraviolet radiation.