Why it’s important to see the SAME GP: A large study of 10 million appointments shows that patients need less care if they are treated by the same GP

Older patients get better treatment and need less care if they see the same doctor every visit, a large-scale study shows.

Millions of GP appointments would be saved if surgeries offered better continuity of care, especially for people with more complex care needs, according to research from the University of Cambridge.

The largest ever analysis on the subject – involving more than 10 million appointments across almost 400 practices in England – found that care for patients improved significantly, while also reducing the workload for doctors.

This was especially true for older patients, those with chronic conditions and mental health needs – increasing the time between visits by almost a fifth (18 percent).

They estimate that adopting this practice method could reduce the number of consultations by 5 percent – ​​the equivalent of 15 million appointments, based on the average of 300 million per year.

About half of all appointments ten years ago took place with a patient’s regular doctor.

But with increasing pressure from growing healthcare needs and an increasing elderly population, this number has gradually declined.

Researchers used anonymised data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink, consisting of more than 10 million GP visits between January 2007 and December 2017, with patients who had at least three consultations in the past two years.

They found that seeing the same doctor helped build relationships, improving the understanding of an individual’s health care needs.

Higher levels of continuity of care were associated with better long-term health outcomes, they concluded, with fewer appointments not resulting in an increase in emergency admissions.

The benefits increased the older the patient was, with the highest gains seen in people over the age of 86, according to findings published in the journal Management Science.

This suggests that surgeries could target these appointments to their older patients to maximize benefits.

Dr. Harshita Kajaria-Montag, lead author of the study and now at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business in the US, said: ‘The benefits of continuity of care are clear from a relationship perspective.

‘If you are a patient with complex healthcare needs, you don’t want to have to explain your entire health history at every appointment.

‘If you have a permanent doctor who is familiar with your history, it is a much more efficient use of time, for doctor and patient.’

The findings come amid accusations that the NHS is discriminating against older patients by using ‘barriers’ to limit their ability to see a GP in person.

A recent poll of more than 1,200 over-60s found that 76 percent had experienced difficulty in getting a face-to-face GP appointment for themselves or a family member.

Eight in ten reported being forced to accept a telephone consultation and 71 percent reluctantly saw another member of practice staff, while 18 percent went to A&E after failing to make an urgent GP appointment.

Silver Voices accused some practices of discriminating against older people by refusing walk-in bookings and telephone requests for repeat prescriptions.

Analysis of data from the English GP Patient Survey by the Nuffield Trust shows that when asked ‘how often do you see or speak to your preferred GP when you would like?’, over time a decrease in the continuity of care.

Between 2018 and 2023, the proportion of patients who “always or almost always” saw or spoke to their preferred GP fell from 26 percent to 16 percent, while those who answered “never or almost never” increased from 10 to 19 percent.

Professor Stefan Scholtes, co-author of the study at Cambridge Judge Business School, said seeing the same doctor could have significant benefits, amounting to a 5 percent increase in GP staff.

He said ‘getting it right the first time’ will reduce future workload by ‘preventing revisits’, adding: ‘Better health translates into less demand for future consultations. Prioritizing continuity of care is crucial to increasing productivity.”

GP leaders said continuity of care is ‘highly valued by both GPs and patients’, but rising patient lists mean the average GP is now responsible for 260 more patients than six years ago.

Dr. Victoria Tzortziou-Brown, vice-president of the Royal College of GPs, said: ‘We already know it is beneficial for patients, especially those with complex health needs, and we know it has benefits for the NHS – and it is encouraging to see see that this study has shown that it can also improve the workload of general practitioners.

She added: ‘The average number of patients per fully qualified GP is now 2,294, meaning on average each GP is responsible for 260 more patients than six years ago.

‘This is untenable and makes guaranteed access to the same GP for every patient virtually impossible. However, it would be important that continuity of care is prioritized for those who need it most.”