<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><xml><records><record><source-app name="HighWire" version="7.x">Drupal-HighWire</source-app><ref-type name="Journal Article">17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Jiwa, Moyez</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Mathers, Nigel</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Campbell, Mike</style></author></authors><secondary-authors></secondary-authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">The effect of GP telephone triage on numbers seeking same-day appointments.</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">British Journal of General Practice</style></secondary-title></titles><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2002</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2002-05-01 00:00:00</style></date></pub-dates></dates><pages><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">390-391</style></pages><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">52</style></volume><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">478</style></issue><abstract><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Telephone consultations with general practitioners (GPs) have not been shown to be an effective way to reduce the demandfor face-to face appointments during the surgery hours. This study aims to determine if GP telephone triage can effectively reduce the demandforface-to -face consultations for patients seeking same-day appointments in general practice. We report an interrupted time series, twoyears before and one year after introduction of GP-led telephone triage. Demand for face-to face appointments with a GPwas reduced by 39% (95% CI = 29 to 51%, P &lt; 0.001). more than 92% of the telephone calls lasted less thanfive minutes. The telephone bill increased by 26%. For a substantial proportion of patients seeking same-day appointments telephone consultations were an acceptable alternative service.</style></abstract></record></records></xml>