Population mobility: characteristics of people registering with general practices.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to examine the characteristics of patients joining general practitioners' (GP) lists, and the time taken to register after a move of residence.


METHODS
Questionnaire study.


METHODS
Staff in six London general practices administered the questionnaire to 642 newly registering adults.


RESULTS
Nearly 40% of participants took longer than 6 months to re-register with a GP after a change of address. About one in eight participants (13%) took longer than 1 year and one in 14 (7%) took longer than 3 years to register. The overall median time to register after a move was 4 months. The amount of time taken to register appeared to be influenced by a number of factors, including gender, age and geographical location.


CONCLUSIONS
Population mobility and the time taken to register with a new GP is likely to have a major impact on access to health care and the effectiveness of local preventative health programmes. Primary care trusts need to encourage their local residents to register with a GP soon after a change of address, and develop initiatives to encourage participation in preventative health programmes amongst mobile groups. Additional measures to strengthen primary care provision, such as walk-in centres, may be required in areas with the highest levels of population turnover.
Millett
C
C
Lambeth Primary Care Trust, 1 Lower Marsh, London SE1 7NT, UK. chris.millett@lambethpct.nhs.uk
Zelenyanszki
C
C
Binysh
K
K
Lancaster
J
J
Majeed
A
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002391:Catchment Area, Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005194:Family Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005843:Geography; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008131:London; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011157:Population Dynamics; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011322:Primary Prevention; D012042:Registries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013222:State Medicine; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors