B.M.A. deputizing service in Sheffield, 1970.

Area of Science:

• Medical Practice
• Health Services Research
• General Practice

Background:

• Deputizing services provide out-of-hours medical care for general practitioners (GPs).
• The study examines the utilization and impact of these services in 1970.
• Group practice growth was occurring, raising questions about the need for deputizing services.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the extent of general practitioner (GP) use of deputizing services in Sheffield and Nottingham in 1970.
• To analyze the characteristics of calls handled by deputizing services.
• To evaluate the impact of deputizing services on the concept of personal doctoring.

Main Methods:

• Survey of general practitioners in Sheffield and Nottingham regarding deputizing service usage.
• Analysis of call data from the Sheffield deputizing service, including call volume and revisit rates.
• Categorization of deputy types and assessment of patient waiting times.
• Estimation of deputizing service call volume relative to total GP consultations and home visits.

Main Results:

• High utilization rates: 74% of Sheffield GPs and 78% of Nottingham GPs used deputizing services.
• Deputizing services were used across various practice types, including single-handed and group practices.
• The Sheffield service handled 15,988 new calls, averaging 106 per subscribing doctor.
• Deputies were primarily hospital doctors (66%) or full-time deputies (20%), with an average of eight years of qualification.
• 72% of patients were seen within one hour.
• Deputizing service calls represented about 1% of total consultations and 5% of home visits, but half of midnight-to-7 AM calls.

Conclusions:

• Deputizing services were widely adopted by general practitioners in 1970, irrespective of practice size.
• The demand for these services persisted despite the rise of group practices.
• The level of activity did not appear to compromise the principle of personal doctoring.