News

Equity in primary health care

If primary health care budgets had been subject to a RAWP-like measure of need, the old NHS regions would have shown widely varying differences from a target allocation of GPs, as the chart above shows. Despite almost 50 years of the NHS, with an explicit mechanism for avoiding ‘over-doctored areas’ through local Medical Practices Committees, the south of the country is relatively over-provided with primary care compared with the north.

Equity in the NHS is one of the key themes discussed in the annual review of health care policy published by the King’s Fund. The review notes that the past year has seen increasing concerns over equity of access to a range of health and social care services, including acute surgery, abortions, continuing care, cancer therapies and treatments for infertility.

The theme of equity reappears in the review’s examination of evidence on the results of the GP fundholding scheme, which concludes that ‘claims by the Government that fundholding has proved to be a success may be premature’.

Health Care UK 1995/96, edited by Anthony Harrison. King’s Fund: 0171 307 2400.