Analysis of the bureaucratic unsolicited mountainous paper heap (BUMPH) that general practitioners received in 1994.
OBJECTIVE
To record and analyse the bureaucratic unsolicited mountainous paper heap (BUMPH) received by general practitioners; to make some suggestions for coping with the ensuing workload.


METHODS
Daily record of all BUMPH landing on the desk of a general practitioner in one year.


METHODS
Mixed practice with one full time and two job sharing principals.


RESULTS
5100 pages of BUMPH arrived during the year. The most prolific source of origin was health authorities (1549 pages). Fridays, Mondays, and the day after a holiday were the days BUMPH was most frequently seen.


CONCLUSIONS
BUMPH is a major source of workload. One way of avoiding it is not to work on the day after a day off.
Kenny
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Westgate Surgery, Dursley, Gloucestershire.
D003142:Communication; D005194:Family Practice; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D006113:United Kingdom; D016526:Workload