title: Factors associated with staffing provision and medical equipment acquisition in Irish general practice.
abstract: GPs form an integral part of Irish primary care provision. However, current information concerning general practice structure, staffing and development in Ireland is quite limited. This report provides a profile of General Practice in Ireland in 2010 drawing on a national survey of practices using a standardised questionnaire. On average, there are 2.7 GPs per practice, although one in four practices remains single-handed. The majority of practices employ nursing 485 (80.7%) and clerical 549 (91.3%) support. A high proportion of practices have the following items of equipment: ECG machine 496 (82.5%), 24 hour blood pressure monitor 481 (80.1%), spirometer 383 (63.8%), cryotherapy equipment 505 (84%), minor surgery equipment 453 (74.3%) and foetal monitor 484 (80.5%). Using chi-square analysis, we find statistically significant positive relationships between nursing support and possession of each of the six items of medical equipment (chi2 = 81.57, p < 0.01; chi2 = 105.4, p < 0.01; 2 = 38.5, p < 0.01; chi2 = 16.6, p < 0.01; chi2 = 39.5, p < 0.01; = 19.5, p < 0.01) and between practice size and possession of each item of medical equipment (chi2 = 26.3, p < 0.01; chi2 = 45, p < 0.01; chi2 = 16.5, p < 0.01; chi2 = 44.4, p < 0.01; chi2 = 13.8, p < 0.01; chi2 = 14.7, p < 0.01).
authors.affiliation: Department of Economics, School of Economics, University College Cork, Cork. jane.bourke@ucc.ie
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bourke
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Bradley
mesh_terms: D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D058006:General Practice / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires