Short report: how often do UK primary care trials face recruitment delays?

Recruitment to trials is often viewed as problematic but data are scarce. This study surveyed authors of published primary care trials to assess the scale of recruitment problems. Seventy trial authors were surveyed with a response rate of 56%. Less than one-third of trials recruited to their original timescale. Recruitment requiring GPs to gain patient consent was significantly associated with recruitment problems. The data may be useful in the wider drive to improve recruitment in primary care.