Emergency department attendances and GP patient satisfaction

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Public Health
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Emergency department (ED) attendances in England are rising, with the underlying causes remaining unclear.
• Understanding factors influencing ED use is crucial for healthcare planning and resource allocation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between general practice (GP) patient satisfaction and emergency department (ED) attendances in England.
• To determine if difficulties in accessing convenient GP appointments lead patients to seek care in EDs.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of national data on GP patient satisfaction and ED attendance across England.
• Data organized by Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) areas, with a specific focus on a London CCG subset.
• Comparison of associations between GP satisfaction and ED attendances in London versus non-London CCGs.

Main Results:

• A strong correlation was observed between lower GP patient satisfaction (difficulty obtaining appointments) and increased ED attendances in non-London CCGs.
• Higher patient satisfaction with GPs and practice nurses was associated with reduced ED visits outside London.
• These correlations were not found in the London CCG subset, despite lower reported satisfaction with London GP services.

Conclusions:

• The study highlights a link between primary care accessibility and ED use in most of England, but this relationship is not evident in London.
• Further research is needed to understand the unique factors influencing healthcare-seeking behavior in London.
• Simple diversion of patients from EDs to primary care may not be an effective strategy without addressing underlying system complexities.