Table 4.
Age/sex standardised rates (per 1000 patients per year) of out–of–hours service use by rural/urban area.
| Settlement type | Context | Number of calls | Populationa | Age/sex-standardised rate (95% CI) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Urban | Sparse | 382 | 10 469 | 197 (190 to 205) |
| Less sparse | 18 633 | 577 590 | 171 (170 to 172) | |
| Town and fringe | Sparse | 811 | 19 365 | 203 (198 to 209) |
| Less sparse | 3580 | 131 535 | 139 (138 to 141) | |
| Village | Sparse | 591 | 25 240 | 130 (126 to 134) |
| Less sparse | 2144 | 94 508 | 126 (120 to 124) | |
| Hamlet and isolated dwellings | Sparse | 495 | 27 333 | 106 (103 to 110) |
| Less sparse | 1288 | 59 924 | 120 (117 to 122) | |
| Total | 27 924 | 945 964 | ||
Data on postcode, age or sex were missing for 6113 cases; 192 were excluded as they were outside the Devon area.
a
Population estimates from Office for National Statistics 2001 Census.