Contrasts between metropolitan and rural general practice in the delivery of after-hours care.

OBJECTIVE

To describe: 1. current arrangements for the delivery of after-hours primary care in general practice. 2. GPs' satisfaction with these arrangements, and 3. the perceived barriers to improving after-hours care in general practice.

DESIGN

Telephone survey of a random sample of general practitioners using a standardised questionnaire.

SETTING

Two general practice populations, one urban (Central Sydney Division), and one rural (Central Western Division).

RESULTS

The response rate was 71%. Almost all rural GPs (95%) provided after-hours care whereas 50% of urban practices provided after-hours care for their patients. Rural GPs expressed a significantly higher degree of satisfaction with their after-hours care arrangements. Half of the GPs providing all their after-hours care reported that they would be prepared to enter into co-operative arrangements with other practices. Thirty-seven per cent of urban GPs who did not provide all their after-hours care indicated that they would be prepared to enter into co-operative arrangements with other practices.

CONCLUSIONS

Many of the barriers to providing effective after-hours care may be overcome by establishing after-hours co-operatives.