The impact of a general practice co-operative on accident and emergency services, patient satisfaction and GP satisfaction

Pickin, D. M., O'Cathain, A., Fall, M., Morgan, A. B., Howe, A. and Nicholl, J. P. (2004) The impact of a general practice co-operative on accident and emergency services, patient satisfaction and GP satisfaction. Family Practice, 21 (2). pp. 180-182. ISSN 1460-2229

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Abstract

Background. The advent of general practice co-operatives represented a fundamental change in the delivery and organization of out-of-hours services. Concerns have been voiced that co-operatives might impact adversely on workload in accident and emergency (A&E) departments. Objective. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of establishing a general practice co-operative on use of A&E services, patient satisfaction and GP satisfaction. Methods. A controlled before and after study of a GP co-operative in Sheffield, UK was carried out. A postal questionnaire was sent to 26 911 people, 13 442 before and 13 469 after the opening of the co-operative, to determine service use, in particular A&E attendance, in the previous 4 weeks. Patient satisfaction was assessed through structured interviews with 653 patients. GP satisfaction was assessed using a postal survey of all 98 Sheffield practices 2 years after the opening of the co-operative. Results. There was no change in the use of A&E services, odds ratio = 1.08 (95% confidence interval 0.60–1.94). There was no change in patient satisfaction overall, mean difference 0.02 (−0.32 to 0.36). Sixty-seven per cent of doctors in member practices were much more satisfied with out-of-hours duty compared with 10% in non-member practices (P < 0.001). Conclusions. General practice co-operatives have been successful in achieving their policy objectives, improving GP morale without jeopardizing patient satisfaction or impacting adversely on A&E services.

Item Type:	Article
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Health Services and Primary Care
Depositing User:	EPrints Services
Date Deposited:	25 Nov 2010 11:10
Last Modified:	12 Mar 2024 17:30
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/13442
DOI:	10.1093/fampra/cmh213

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