Primary health care in London : quantifying the challenge

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The imbalance in London between primary health care and hospital services has long been recognised. Attempts are now being made to address this issue by strengthening community-based services. This paper quantifies the nature of the challenge facing primary health care in the capital relative to the rest of the country. It concentrates on two major elements of primary care provision: GP services and the social care of elderly people. Some of the issues affecting the delivery of pharmaceutical and community nursing services are also examined. A complex picture is painted but a common theme emerges: more is spent per capita on primary care in London than in England as a whole but relatively less services are provided. The main results of the paper are summarised under two headings: family health services and social and community care.

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