GP income in relation to workload in deprived urban areas in The Netherlands. Before and after the 1996 pay review.
BACKGROUND
General practitioner workload is higher in deprived urban areas and for the elderly. This led to the introduction of additional GP payments regarding these patients, in the UK and in the Netherlands. This study examines whether this has resulted in more equal payment for work done in the Netherlands.


METHODS
GP workload and income have been assessed on the basis of a survey among 1154 GPs (response: 62%).


RESULTS
Suggest that total GP income is still lower in deprived areas, but per hour and per patient contact the additional payments gave equity.


CONCLUSIONS
It is thus concluded that Dutch deprivation payments effectively compensate GPs in deprived areas for their higher workload.
Verheij
R A
RA
National Institute for Health and the Environment, PO Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands. robert.verheij@rivm.nl
De Bakker
D H
DH
Reijneveld
S A
SA
D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D009426:Netherlands; D010821:Physicians, Family; D011204:Poverty Areas; D014504:Urban Health; D016526:Workload