Management of minor medical problems and trauma: general practice or hospital?

Abstract

An assessment of the problems for which 1000 consecutive patients attended an accident and emergency department of a district general hospital showed that 54.2% could have been treated by a general practitioner. Amongst 150 patients attending hospital for minor problems between the hours of 09:00 and 19:00 on weekdays, the main reason given for not going to a GP was their impression that only in hospital could the required treatment be provided. A postal survey of 50 GPs found that they tended to avoid regularly handling certain specified minor problems which often present to hospital. The current trend away from the community management of such problems is discussed. It is suggested that improving patient education and GPs' incentives, while decreasing list sizes and expanding the primary care team, may encourage the management by GPs of trivial trauma and minor medical problems.