Journal article

How widespread is working at scale in English general practice? An observational study

Lindsay JL Forbes, Hannah Forbes, Matt Sutton, Katherine Checkland, Stephen Peckham

British Journal of General Practice | Royal College of General Practitioners | Published : 2019

Abstract

Abstract Background Over the last 5 years, national policy has encouraged general practices to serve populations of >30 000 people (called ‘working at scale’) by collaborating with other practices. Aim To describe the number of English general practices working at scale, and their patient populations. Design and setting Observational study of general practices in England. Method Data published by the NHS on practices’ self-reports of working in groups were supplemented with data from reports by various organisations and practice group websites. Practices were categorised by the extent to which they were working at scale; within these categories, the age distribution of the practice popula..

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Grants

Funding Acknowledgements

This research was funded by the National Institute of Health Research Policy Research Programme through the Policy Research Unit in Commissioning and the Healthcare System (PRUComm). The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR, the Department of Health and Social Care, or its arm's length bodies.