10th June 2011

RCGP Calls for Greater Continuity of Care in General Practice

Keeping general practice familiar and local improves continuity of care and can tackle health inequalities more effectively, says a new Policy Paper from the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP).

Written by Dr Alison Hill and Professor George Freeman, Promoting Continuity of Care in General Practice outlines the evidence of the cost-effectiveness of general practice, citing the fact that one day’s GP care is equivalent in cost to one tenth of a day in hospital.

It also makes the important link between access and continuity of care – with  evidence that patients are actually willing to wait longer to see their preferred clinician – and suggests ways of helping patients achieve effective ‘therapeutic’ relationships.

The report defines Continuity of Care as being ‘about care experienced by individual patients – not populations – over time’, and identifies two specific types:

Relationship Continuity
Describes the doctor-patient relationship in its most basic sense.

Management Continuity
Describes co-ordination and co-operation between service providers to enable the patient to navigate the healthcare system as simply as possible.

It makes 30 recommendations to policy-makers, managers and commissioners, and practices that include:

For policy makers

  • Keep general practice familiar and local. By avoiding alienation it can deal with health inequalities effectively.
  • Safeguard GP time with patients. Reward extra work in management and commissioning – do not see it as a spare-time activity.

For managers and commissioners

  • Prioritise relationship continuity when commissioning primary care.
  • That GPs should lead the commissioning of out-of-hours care to ensure standards and continuity.

For practices

  • Give a clear statement of the importance of continuity of care to your practice ethos, for example in the practice leaflet and at registration.
  • Give patients clear information about how to get an appointment with their chosen doctor and when it is most important for their care that they do this.

RCGP Chair Dr Clare Gerada said:

“Patients rightly expect the best possible quality of care from their health service, and it is an accepted fact that continuity of care in general practice can be an important contributory factor to providing this.

“The days of the ‘traditional family doctor’ may be over, thanks to societal and professional developments – including an increasingly mobile population – but the need for relationship and management continuity is more important than ever; clinicians face the dual challenge of an increasingly ageing population presenting multiple co-morbidities. Management of these often chronic conditions depends on joined-up care that general practice, with support from our specialist colleagues, is uniquely placed to provide.

“High-quality general practice care is the best of most cost-effective way of delivering health services to patients. I welcome this new policy paper, and urge policy-makers, practices, managers and commissioners to take its recommendations on board for the good of our patients and for the advancement of the excellent care that general practitioners provide.”

FURTHER INFORMATION

RCGP Press office – 020 3188 7574 / 7575 / 7576
Out of hours: 07885 958 632
press@rcgp.org.uk