Volume 19 Issue 1 March 2010Short Report
Follow-up survey of general practitioners’ perceptions of UK
allergy services
Pages 84-86
Michael Hazeldinea, Allison Worthb, Mark L Levyc, *Aziz Sheikhd
a
Research Student, Allergy & Respiratory Research Group, Centre for Population Health Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
b
Senior Research Fellow, Allergy and Respiratory Research Group, Centre for Population Health Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
c
Senior Clinical Research Fellow, Allergy and Respiratory Research Group, Centre for Population Health Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
d
Professor of Primary Care Research & Development, Allergy and Respiratory Research Group, Centre for Population Health Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Received 11 November 2009 • Accepted 8 January 2010 • Online 21 January 2010
Abstract
BACKGROUND: A UK survey of general practitioners (GPs) in 2002 found that they perceived allergy care throughout the UK National
Health Service (NHS) to be poor. We conducted a follow-up survey in 2009 to see if GPs’ perceptions had changed.
OBJECTIVES: To determine GP perceptions of allergy care in the NHS in the wake of recent Government reports into allergy care, and to
compare the findings of this survey to a similar survey conducted in 2002.
METHODS: A cross-sectional postal survey of 500 UK GPs was conducted, using an adapted version of the 2002 questionnaire, modified
to reflect recent developments in primary care.
RESULTS: We obtained valid responses from 149 GPs, 87% of whom were based in England. 74% were GP principals and 63% worked
in training practices. Most GPs (71%; 95%CI 63-79) rated overall NHS allergy care as poor, expressing concern about both primary care
and access to allergy specialists. There were no significant differences in GPs’ perceptions of the quality of allergy care provided in primary
(p=0.33) and secondary care (p=0.97) or access to specialists (p=0.37), between 2002 and 2009.
CONCLUSION: This survey suggests that recent professional and parliamentary reviews have not led to any notable improvements in GP
perceptions of UK NHS allergy services between 2002 and 2009.
Keywords
Allergy, primary care, service provision, questionnaire survey, GPs
* Corresponding author. Aziz Sheikh Tel: +44 (0)131 651 4151 Fax: +44 (0)131 650 9119 Email: aziz.sheikh@ed.ac.uk | |
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