One in 100 using out-of-hours primary care needs hospital care within three days

Nearly 1% of patients who see out-of-hours primary care services need urgent admission to hospital within three days, a retrospective study of one UK service has found, and older patients, prior users, and those presenting at less busy times are most at risk.1

Out-of-hours primary care services handled around 5.9 million cases in England in 2013-14. But it can …