RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Problems of urgent consultations within an appointment system
JF The Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
JO J R Coll Gen Pract
FD British Journal of General Practice
SP 173
OP 177
VO 30
IS 212
A1 Jenny Field
YR 1980
UL http://bjgp.org/content/30/212/173.abstract
AB Patients for whom there is no appointment who ask to be seen on the same day can be a source of irritation. During March 1978, 214 of these patients were compared with 749 who made appointments. No evidence was found that such patients were abusing the system, and almost half were found to be children. It was concluded that these consultations were inevitable, but the attitude of the doctors to them may have been affecting their management. The system used produces some loss of personal care, the effects of which need to be studied further.