Abstract
The results from a survey of the use of general practitioner services are discussed to illustrate variations in patterns of surgery attendance. These patterns were partly influenced by factors such as social status and personal mobility of respondents. Age of respondents did not cause much differentiation of patterns but respondents were often found to be maintaining contact with practices in areas in which they previously lived, even where this involved travelling considerable distances. The implications of these findings are considered, given current tendencies to centralize primary care services, particularly into neighbourhood health centres.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Hopkins E. J., Pye A. M., Solomon M., Solomon S. The relation of patients age, sex and distance from surgery to the demand on the family doctor. J R Coll Gen Pract. 1968 Nov;16(5):368–378. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Knox P. L. The accessibility of primary care to urban patients: a geographical analysis. J R Coll Gen Pract. 1979 Mar;29(200):160–168. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Parkin D. Distance as an influence on demand in general practice. J Epidemiol Community Health. 1979 Mar;33(1):96–99. doi: 10.1136/jech.33.1.96. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Richardson I. M., Dingwall-Fordyce I. Patient geography in general practice. Catchment areas of Aberdeen practices. Lancet. 1968 Dec 14;2(7581):1290–1293. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(68)91779-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]