A local review of domiciliary consultations

This report examines the trends and patterns of domiciliary consultations within Lothian Health Board area. Lothian Health Board is the second largest health board in Scotland. It is a teaching board with a mixed urban and rural population of 750,000. This is a retrospective study of data on domiciliary consultations from the Information and Statistic Division of the Common Services agency for the years 1986 to 1991. Comparison of total figures nationally and locally and an examination of numbers of visits among specialties within the health board area. Between 1986 and 1991 the total number of domiciliary consultations in Scotland dropped by 27%. During the same period the average rate for three of the four Scottish teaching boards fell by 32% while for Lothian it fell by 20%. Average teaching board figures dropped consistently each year but Lothian figures showed more fluctuation, in particular, a drop of 20% between 1990 and 1991. The large drop in domiciliary visits was reflected in two of the three main specialties for the same period.