Seeing the same GP dramatically reduces demand for future consults, major study finds
Data from 10 million consultations show GP workload would be reduced and patient care enhanced.
A major study has shown the dramatic benefits of continuity of GP care in terms of patients’ future care needs as well as future healthcare costs.
After analysing 10 million appointments in 381 GP practices, University of Cambridge researchers found that patients who regularly saw the same GP went 18% longer between consults than those who saw different doctors.
Importantly the extended time between consults did not equate to a need for longer subsequent GP consultations — or more ED appointments.
Professor Stefan Scholtes from the Cambridge Judge Business School and his team tracked patient consultations between January 2007 and December 2017 recorded in the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink.
