General practitioners' views about the statutory annual practice report.
OBJECTIVE
To ascertain the views of primary care professionals about the current purpose, uses, potential, and workload implications of the statutory general practice annual report.


METHODS
Postal questionnaire survey.


METHODS
General practices in the Northern region.


METHODS
All practices in the region that were singlehanded, fundholding, non-fundholding and with more than five partners, and a one in three random sample of all non-fundholding practices (n = 318).


RESULTS
263 practices responded (83%). The report took a median of 12 hours to produce (95% confidence interval 11 to 15 hours; interquartile range 7-35). The main perceived purpose of the report was to monitor practice activity (165 respondents; 63% (95% confidence interval 57% to 69%)), but 44 respondents (17%; 13% to 22%) produced it only because it was contractually required. Practices included statutory and non-statutory data in these reports and would have liked comparative practice activity information (155 respondents; 59%) and "good ideas" (165 respondents; 63%) fed back to them. Respondents would have liked the annual report used to improve practice development planning (122 respondents; 46% (40% to 52%)), to facilitate audit (115 respondents; 44% (38% to 50%)), and to influence resource allocation (104 respondents; 40% (34% to 46%)). One hundred and eighteen practices (45%; 39% to 51%) would produce an annual report even if not contractually required. Data collected were perceived to be already available elsewhere.


CONCLUSIONS
Primary care professionals have concerns about the current annual report. They would prefer to collect relevant, standardised data which could lead to better audit, planning, and resource allocation.
Record
M C
MC
Department of Primary Health Care, Medical School, University of Newcastle upon Tyne.
Spencer
J A
JA
Jones
R H
RH
Jones
K P
KP
D000847:Annual Reports as Topic; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003625:Data Collection; D004739:England; D005194:Family Practice / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000523:psychology*; D013997:Time Factors; D016526:Workload