Contraceptive workload in general practice in the Trent Region

A prospective study was made of the contraceptive workload of general practitioners in the Trent Region between November 1973 and January 1976. This was carried out in three stages allowing comparison between a period of time when patients paid for all contraception, when only contraceptive advice from the general practitioner was paid for, and when contraceptive services and supplied were free from all sources in the NHS. The study shows that the introduction of free contraception services under the NHS Reorganization Act 1973 led to little change for many general practitioners. The number of patients seen each week for contraception did rise slightly, but the characteristics of these patients did not change over the two years.