TY - JOUR T1 - General practice: finding a future from the past JF - British Journal of General Practice JO - Br J Gen Pract SP - 370 LP - 370 DO - 10.3399/bjgp16X685897 VL - 66 IS - 648 AU - Geoffrey Marsh Y1 - 2016/07/01 UR - http://bjgp.org/content/66/648/370.abstract N2 - General practice in the ‘50s and early ‘60s was in a desperate state. Many GPs were single-handed or in two-man practices. Buildings were totally inadequate and staff were minimal. There was no team and almost no access to diagnostic facilities. GPs were at the beck and call of their patients and were worked to death. Surgeries were crowded, doctors worked long hours, and there were no appointment systems. Average consultation time was about 5 or 6 minutes and requests for home visits had to be carried out. Many problems were trivial. Certification for unfitness to work was a major reason for patients attending.Entering this ramshackle system after gruelling hospital jobs were vocationally motivated, clinically well-trained young doctors. Many emigrated. And yet within 15–20 years general practice was transformed and became a popular choice for the brightest … ER -