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- Page navigation anchor for Continuity of care and the current state of general practiceContinuity of care and the current state of general practiceRegarding current issues with continuity and other aspects of patient care, I am sure many GP’s approaching retirement like myself keep wondering what has really gone wrong with general practice. Whatever it is, it made me quit as a GP Partner earlier than I had originally planned. While doing an out of hours shift recently I had a disturbing conversation during a telephone triage call with the husband of an elderly patient with a chronic problem. He emphasised to me that they were using this call instead of contacting the GP as they were unable to develop any sort of relationship with a GP in the practice where they were registered as there were no appointments available and all the GP’s were all part time anyway. The relationship with the practice had reached a point where the patient/carer worked out what might work in terms of medication either through their own research or discussion with an out of hours GP, and then ‘ordered’ the relevant prescription in writing from the practice who seemed to willingly comply. I ran through possible management options and the patient thanked me for his advice. Surely this is the wrong way around and the practice should be advising about longitudinal care and the OOH service catering for occasional one off consultations? Something has gone seriously wrong with the system. I think the main problem is the emphasis on ‘book on the day’ appointments with subsequent less availability of routine appoin...Show MoreCompeting Interests: None declared.