Feeling unwell? Must you go straight to hospital?

If people ignore the primary level and go directly to hospital when they are ill the health care system becomes overburdened at the higher levels, inefficient, and unjustifiably expensive. The most effective way to persuade people to use the first level of care is to ensure that its services are reliable and its facilities are attractive as those of the referral levels. Financial incentives aimed at encouraging respect for the system can also play a part.