Influenza and the 'spotter' general practitioner.

The title ;spotter' practitioner has come to refer particularly to influenza surveillance. Worldwide, a variety of surveillance schemes have been developed, influenced by local health care systems. In the United Kingdom general practitioners can contribute to the Royal College of General Practitioners' weekly returns service or to national or regional schemes. Scotland has had a national system since 1971, supplemented by weekly laboratory returns and local employment and school absenteeism records. Further sources of information about morbidity and their validity need to be explored as does the contribution of new technological developments. However, the prime source - the general medical practitioner - should not be neglected.