Who is your doctor?

[摘要] Many patients simply don’t know. If we are to realise the ambition of the Health and Social Care Select Committee, to provide ‘continuity to all patients as much as possible’,1 we need to overcome current barriers and ensure patients know who their doctor is.Many practising GPs (especially younger GPs) lack experience of relational continuity of care and fear that continuity metrics will be just another stick to beat GPs with. We need to change the narrative through widespread education. Only then will younger colleagues realise that continuity makes the job easier and more enjoyable.The myth that continuity of care can only be delivered by 5-days-a-week working has led to intergenerational conflict. This has been debunked — GPs in Norway work 3–4 days2 per week in their practice. In England, submissions to the Health and Social Care Select Committee show that continuity can be achieved with part-time working1 by spreading working days across the week. Health Foundation research found 61% of patients will wait to see their preferred GP.3 I work in a personal list practice and ‘Who is your doctor?’ is asked and reinforced throughout the patient journey.Access models foisted onto primary care are weakly evidenced and need revaluation. Norway recently evaluated their national personal lists scheme (covering 4.5 million patients over 20 years) showing hard end points (fewer hospital admissions and lower mortality) and demonstrated a dose‒ response relationship.2 We need to trust the evidence. Continuity is no longer just a nice idea.15 years).2 Pensions and estates are relatively fixable problems, and should be urgently remedied. Then we can get to a place nationally where most patients can easily answer the question — Who is your doctor?© British Journal of General Practice 2023REFERENCES 1.↵UK Parliament (2022) The future of general practice, https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/30383/documents/176291/default (accessed 9 Feb 2023).

[学科分类] 卫生学