NHS: Seeing the same GP is better for your health, University of Cambridge study concludes

Seeing the same GP improves patient health and reduces the workload for family doctors, according to one of the largest studies of its kind.

Researchers at the University of Cambridge and Insead business school found there was a range of benefits when patients have a long-term relationship with their doctor. Seeing the same doctor during GP visits - a model known as continuity of care - meant people waited on average 18 per cent longer between visits, compared with patients who saw different doctors.

People did not take up more GP time in each consultation and the findings were particularly strong for older patients, those with multiple chronic illnesses, and people with mental health conditions.

Researchers behind the study said that, although it will not always be possible for people to see their regular GP, the findings would translate to an estimated 5 per cent reduction in consultations if all practices in England were providing the level of continuity of care of the best 10 per cent of practices.

Dr Harshita Kajaria-Montag, lead author of the new study, said: "The benefits of continuity of care are obvious from a relationship point of view. If you’re a patient with complex health needs, you don’t want to have to explain your whole health history at every appointment.

"If you have a regular doctor who’s familiar with your history, it’s a far more efficient use of time, for doctor and patient."

For the study, published in the journal Management Science, experts analysed more than 10m GP consultations in 381 practices in England over a period of 11 years.

The study read: "A physician can be considered more productive if they improve the quality of care provided without reducing the number of patients they serve per year or if they serve more patients without reducing quality of care. In primary care, where patients often have a preferred doctor, these two dimensions are related.

"If physicians provide high-quality care to their regular patients, they are likely to keep them healthier, which reduces the demand for consultations and increases their capacity to serve more patients."