Accident department or general practice?

Abstract

Ninety two patients, who were registered with one general practice partnership that has a tradition of providing minor trauma services and who had attended a hospital accident and emergency department, completed a questionaire giving their reasons for not first attending their general practitoners with their ailments. Most had not tried to contact their general practitioner, and of these, only a few were unsuitable for treatment first by the general practitioner. More than half had attendend the accident and emergency department because they did not want ot bother own general practitoner or thought that their problem was unsuitable for his attention. a higher proportion had attended for reasons fo perecieved speed or convenience. In the light of the need to cut costs in the hospital service and of goverment interesr in promoting a wider range of services in general practice further study of such problems is needed. Practice perceptions of the role of the accident department need to be changed if present behaviour us to be alterred. © 1986, British Medical Journal Publishing Group. All rights reserved.