Study Highlights Benefits of Continuity of Care in GP Practices

Patients seeing the same GP experience fewer visits, particularly benefiting older individuals and those with complex health needs.

A University of Cambridge study found that patients who see the same GP are less likely to need frequent doctor visits, demonstrating the benefits of continuity of care.
The study, analyzing over 10 million GP consultations, showed that patients with a dedicated doctor waited 18% longer on average to make their next appointment.
Continuity of care was found to be particularly beneficial for older patients, those managing multiple long-term illnesses, or with mental health conditions.
The decline in continuity of care over time has been highlighted, with a significant decrease in patients always or almost always seeing their preferred GP from 2018 to 2023.
Experts argue that prioritizing continuity of care could improve GP workload, patient health, and potentially free up millions of appointments annually.