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.


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


METHODS
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.
Mira
M
M
Division of General Practice, Central Sydney Area Health Service.
Cooper
C
C
Maandag
A
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001315:Australia; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005194:Family Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000639:trends; D006792:House Calls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000639:trends; D012423:Rural Health / Q000639:trends*; D014504:Urban Health / Q000639:trends*