Do nursing home residents use high levels of general practice services?

As the number of patients living in nursing homes rises there are concerns about the implications for general practice workload. This single practice study shows that patients in nursing homes have nearly twice the number of contacts as other patients over the age of 74 years. This workload data can be used to inform the debate currently taking place in primary care groups and health authorities as to how to provide and fund the most appropriate care for patients living in nursing homes.