PARTNERSHIP CHANGES IN ENGLISH GENERAL-PRACTICE FROM 1990 TO 1994

Background The objective of this study was to quantify the rate of par tnership change among general practitioners (GPs) in the National Heal th Service (NHS) in England from 1990 to 1994. Methods Time series dat a on English GPs were analysed on 1 October for the years 1990-1994. T he main outcome measures include: (1) proportion of GPs practising in an unchanged partnership from 1 October 1990 to 1 October 1994; (2) pr oportion of partnerships that were unchanged over the study period; (3 ) the average yearly rate of partnership changes for England and per F amily Health Service Authority (FHSA), calculated using both the indiv idual GP and the practice as the unit of analysis. Results A total of 6532 (27.1 per cent) of the 24107 unrestricted GPs practising full tim e on 1 October 1990 were still practising in the identical partnership on 1 October 1994; 3539 (35.7 per cent) of the 9918 practices in Engl and were unchanged over the same period. The average yearly partnershi p change rate for all England was 23.1 per cent when calculated using the individual GP as the unit of analysis, and 23.4 per cent when calc ulated using the practice as the unit of analysis. There is threefold variation found in the average yearly partnership change rate by FHSA, with similar rank ordering of health authorities when using either th e individual GP or practice as unit of analysis. Conclusions Changes i n partnerships are commonplace. The possible influence of such changes on primary care in the NHS should be further investigated.