A record of patient encounters in neurological practice in the United Kingdom

Thirteen consultant neurologists working in ten different towns or cities in the United Kingdom were asked to log all their encounters with patients in 1 week. The median number of encounters was 79 (range 33-144). Forty-one per cent were new patients; 85% of all new patient encounters were with National Health Service patients. In more than four-fifths of all encounters, the neurologist felt that the consultation was a justified use of his experience. Consultations for headache/migraine and epilepsy together accounted for over a quarter of all encounters.