This blog is a response to Dr Craig Lilienthal’s article on the 80/20 rule, where he said he was “horrified” to think of the care that was being delivered to patients whose GPs were seeing 80 patients, or providing 80 services, more than 20 days each year.

First of all, I totally agree with the general sentiments in his article regarding the 80/20 rule. If a doctor works at that rate, he or she is not going to be thorough enough and mistakes will be common, not to mention that the notes are likely to be a little sketchy.

However, I have to point out that Dr Lilienthal’s current strictly private practice, where he works part-time and “is hard pressed to see 15 patients per seven-hour day”, is at the other end of the spectrum.

It barely reflects the practicalities of the majority of modern, mainstream general practice.