RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Why do patients with cancer access out-of-hours primary care? A retrospective study JF British Journal of General Practice JO Br J Gen Pract FD British Journal of General Practice SP e99 OP e104 DO 10.3399/bjgp14X677158 VO 64 IS 619 A1 Rosalind Adam A1 Patrick Wassell A1 Peter Murchie YR 2014 UL http://bjgp.org/content/64/619/e99.abstract AB Background Identifying why patients with cancer seek out-of-hours (OOH) primary medical care could highlight potential gaps in anticipatory cancer care.Aim To explore the reasons for contact and the range and prevalence of presenting symptoms in patients with established cancer who presented to a primary care OOH department.Design and setting A retrospective review of 950 anonymous case records for patients with cancer who contacted the OOH general practice service in Grampian, Scotland between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2011.Method Subjects were identified by filtering the OOH computer database using the Read Codes ‘neoplasm’, ‘terminal care’, and ‘terminal illness’. Consultations by patients without cancer and repeated consultations by the same patient were excluded. Data were anonymised. Case records were read independently by two authors who determined the presenting symptom(s).Results Anonymous case records were reviewed for 950 individuals. Eight hundred and fifty-two patients made contact because of a symptom. The remaining 97 were mostly administrative and data were missing for one patient. The most frequent symptoms were pain (n = 262/852, 30.8%); nausea/vomiting (n = 102/852, 12.0%); agitation (n = 53/852, 6.2%); breathlessness (n = 51/852, 6.0%); and fatigue (n = 48/852, 5.6%). Of the 262 patients who presented with pain, at least 127 (48.5%) had metastatic disease and 141 (53.8%) were already prescribed strong opiate medication.Conclusion Almost one-third of patients with cancer seeking OOH primary medical care did so because of poorly controlled pain. Pain management should specifically be addressed during routine anticipatory care planning.