Salaried general practice in Czechoslovakia: personal observations and impressions

In 1991, a visit was undertaken, to the former Czechoslovakia, during which discussions were held with general practitioners. Some personal observations and impressions from the visit are presented. For four decades, salaried general practice was a feature of the Czechoslovakian health care system. Primary health care comprised three strands: paediatric services, an occupational health service and community general practitioner care. The main point of service delivery was the polyclinic which, although being large and impersonal, provided easy access to other primary and secondary services. General practitioners, over half of whom were women, had regular leave entitlement and predictable hours of work, out of hours work being provided through separate contracts based on primary care emergency centres. However, doctors were poorly paid compared with industrial workers. Following the 'velvet revolution' in 1989, all aspects of the health service have been subject to major review, and salaried general practice is likely to give way to a more entrepreneurial system.