Demand on primary health care after day surgery

We have audited the frequency and nature of demands made on general practitioners, and the rate of surgical and anaesthetic complications within the first 7 days after day surgery. Semi-structured questionnaires were posted to the general practitioners of patients who attended the hospital's day care ward for a surgical procedure over a 6 month period. In all, 1798 questionnaires were sent, of which 1533 (85.3%) were returned. A total of 247 (16.7%) patients consulted their general practitioners after day surgery, the principal reason being pain (113 patients). Patients who underwent incisional intermediate surgery had the highest rate (31.5%) of general practitioner consultations. This audit has quantified the workload which day surgery places upon general practitioners. It also demonstrates the importance of categorising the various procedures performed on a day case basis when examining patient outcome. Patients who underwent non-incisional minor surgery consulted their general practitioner less often than those who underwent incisional minor surgery, who in turn consulted their practitioner less often than those who underwent incisional intermediate surgery. It seems likely that an increase in workload for general practitioners is inevitable if more complex procedures are performed on a day case basis.