Please note that this project finished in March 2015 and is no longer active.

What did we do?

We provided an historical overview of the development of official policy related to access to general practice in the NHS. The primary focus was on developments from the 1960s onwards, with greater emphasis being placed on more recent developments to enable a contextualisation of current challenges regarding general practice access within the NHS.

Why was it important?

This work offers an innovative approach to policy formulation by incorporating historical reflection into policy analysis. It provides new tools to policy makers and practitioners when it comes to dealing with issues around access in general practice.

How did we do it?

The project was a desk-based review of relevant policy documents, which were analysed and critically appraised to explore changes in NHS policy associated with primary care access. A particular focus was on the way in which ‘access’ had been defined over time, and the solutions that were suggested. Any evidence of impact from particular policy initiatives was explored.

Downloadable resources

• Evaluation Reports

  Initial findings from this work have been published in the British Journal of General Practice

• Publications

  Simpson JM, Checkland K, Snow S, Voorhees J, Rothwell K & Esmail A., (2015), Access to general practice in England: time for a policy rethink. BJGP.

More information

For further information about the project, please contact Katy Rothwell (Programme Manager) or Professor Kath Checkland (Academic Lead).