A summary of changes over time
Use of health services
Percentage of males and females consulting an NHS GP in the 14 days prior to interview: Great Britain 1971 to 2002
The proportion of adults and children who saw an NHS GP in the 14 days before interview has increased from 12 per cent in 1972 to 15 per cent in 2002, reaching a peak in the mid 1990s. However, the average number of NHS GP consultations per person per year has remained relatively constant over time, at between four and five since 1972.
The proportion of GP consultations that took place at home decreased from 22 per cent in 1971 to 5 per cent in 2002. This coincided with an increase in both surgery and telephone consultations. Surgery consultations increased from 73 per cent in 1971 to 86 per cent in 2002, while telephone consultations more than doubled from 4 per cent in 1971 to 9 per cent in 2002.
In 2002, 14 per cent of all respondents had attended an outpatient or casualty department in the three months before interview. This figure increased from 10 per cent in 1972 to 16 per cent in 1998 before declining. The proportion of people attending hospitals as day patients has doubled since this question was first asked in 1992 (from 4 per cent in 1992 to 8 per cent in 2002).
Percentage of males and females reporting an inpatient stay in the 12 months prior to interview by age: Great Britain, 2002
There has been little change since 1982 in the proportion of adults and children who had inpatient stays during the 12 months prior to interview, ranging from 8 per cent to 10 per cent. The proportion has remained at 8 per cent since 2000.
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Households