Scale, scope and impact of skill mix change in primary care in England: a mixed-methods study (May 2022)

Summary

This study in the journal Health and Social Care Delivery Research aimed to assess the scale, scope and impact of changing the type and number of different healthcare practitioners in general practice in England. The authors undertook an analysis of employment trends, looked at motivations behind employment decisions, examined staff and patient experiences, and assessed how skill mix changes are associated with outcome measures and costs. They found that:

• employing clinicians who are not GPs did not reduce GPs’ workload or improve their job satisfaction.
• patients appreciated the longer appointments they had with other clinicians.
• patients wanted better information about what other practitioners can do, and how to use new booking systems.