Table 2.

GPs' out-of-hours referral rates 2001–2004.

Variable	Referral rate, %	UOR (95% CI)	P-value	AOR (95% CI)	P-value
Sex			0.008		0.007
Male	8.6 (1884/21821)	RG		RG
Female	11.2 (1341/11987)	1.33 (1.08 to 1.65)		1.37 (1.09 to 1.72)
Years since registration as doctor in UK		0.010		0.27
0–9	12.4 (434/3491)	1.38 (1.05 to 1.81)		1.20 (0.89 to 1.62)
10–19	9.4 (1159/12363)	1.00 (0.79 to 1.27)		0.95 (0.76 to 1.21)
20–29	9.4 (1344/14371)	RG		RG
≥30	8.0 (288/3583)	0.85 (0.63 to 1.13)		0.88 (0.69 to 1.12)
Number of out-of-hours face-to-face
contacts over 3 years			0.34		0.77
20–149	10.7 (448/4203)	1.18 (0.95 to 1.47)		1.07 (0.86 to 1.32)
150–399	9.2 (1771/19267)	RG		RG
≥400	9.7 (1006/10338)	1.06 (0.82 to 1.38)		0.95 (0.73 to 1.24)
Employment status			0.042		0.30
Registrar	14.9 (37/248)	1.73 (1.09 to 2.76)		1.45 (0.90 to 2.34)
Locum	10.6 (762/7196)	1.17 (0.92 to 1.48)		0.96 (0.72 to 1.29)
Practice-based	9.2 (2426/26364)	RG		RG
Time of day of out-of-hours contact			<0.001		<0.001
Day (7am–7pm)	8.0 (1377/17247)	RG		RG
Evening (7–11 pm)	10.5 (1098/10419)	1.36 (1.23 to 1.50)		1.37(1.25 to 1.50)
Night (11pm–7am)	12.2 (750/6142)	1.60 (1.30 to 1.98)		1.51 (1.13 to 2.02)
Place of out-of-hours contact			<0.001		<0.001
Surgery	8.1 (2087/25649)	RG		RG
Home visit	13.9 (1138/8159)	1.83 (1.62 to 2.07)		1.76 (1.54 to 2.00)

Referral rates have been calculated as a percentage of the total number of contacts in the 3-year period. Odds ratios have been calculated using STATA (version 7) with the cluster subcommand to use robust standard errors. UOR is calculated using just the variable in question and the constant term in the model, the AOR controls for the sex of the GP, the time and the place of the contact. AOR = adjusted odds ratio. RG = reference group. UOR = unadjusted odds ratio.