BMJ 2003;326:234-235 ( 1 February )

Editorials

"Schools and hospitals" for "education and health"

General practice, not hospital care, accounts for most of the health service

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

The phrase "schools and hospitals" is repeated almost every week. Whether it is in a speech to the Labour party conference, or this week in a speech to the party faithful in north London, the British prime minister's shorthand phrase for "education and health" is always "schools and hospitals." Perhaps this isn't entirely surprising. After all, about 80% of any healthcare budget goes into secondary care, and the potential for dramatic glory as well as disaster is often concentrated within hospitals.

However, secondary care is not the health service. Far from it. In the United Kingdom about 90% of the work of the health service is carried out in primary care. In one recent year 268 million consultations with general practitioners were made,w1 and satisfaction rates with general practitioners are high---91% according to a survey organised by the Cabinet Office.w2 Despite the complexity, importance, and emotional context of consultations . . . [Full text of this article]
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Relevant Article

Competition in general practice
Martin Marshall and Tim Wilson
BMJ 2005 331: 1196-1199. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Kerr, D. J., Scott, M. (2009). British Lessons on Health Care Reform. NEJM 361: e21-e21 [Full text]  
  • Marshall, M., Wilson, T. (2005). Competition in general practice. BMJ 331: 1196-1199 [Full text]  
  • Barraclough, K. (2004). Unsung heroes. BMJ 329: 239-239 [Full text]  

Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

Managers: Take Note.
charles e berrisford
bmj.com, 4 Feb 2003 [Full text]
What have hospitals to do with health?
Peter Davies, et al.
bmj.com, 23 Feb 2003 [Full text]
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