DOES DAY-CASE SURGERY GENERATE EXTRA WORKLOAD FOR PRIMARY AND COMMUNITY-HEALTH SERVICE STAFF

We have audited the effects of day surgery on the workload of primary and community care teams in Portsmouth. A modified version of the Audi t Commission's 'Patients' Experiences of Surgery' questionnaire was gi ven to all patients admitted for an elective surgical procedure from 1 6 general practices to the two local hospitals between February and No vember 1996; 487 completed replies were received. In all, 50% patients consulted primary or community health care staff within 21 days of di scharge from hospital. The average total patient contact rate with the se staff increased with length of hospital stay from 0.39 contacts/pat ient for day case to 1.83 contacts/patient for longer stay admissions. Contacts with most members of the primary and community health teams increased with length of hospital stay. The postoperative visit rate b y general practitioners and district nurses to day case patients was v ery low. We conclude that day case surgery at its present level in Por tsmouth appears to create less workload for primary and community heal th services than inpatient surgery.