Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33127639›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2020

Working lives of GPs in Scotland and England: cross-sectional analysis of national surveys.

Helen Hayes, Jonathan Gibson, Bridie Fitzpatrick, Kath Checkland, Bruce Guthrie, Matt Sutton, John Gillies, Stewart W Mercer

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Primary care stability as a social determinant.Frontiers in health services · 2025
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Transforming primary care in Scotland: a critical policy analysis.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2022
    Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Helen HayesHealth Organisation, Policy and Economics Research Group, Centre for Primary Care & Health Services Research, School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Jonathan GibsonHealth Organisation, Policy and Economics Research Group, Centre for Primary Care & Health Services Research, School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Bridie FitzpatrickInstitute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
Kath ChecklandHealth Organisation, Policy and Economics Research Group, Centre for Primary Care & Health Services Research, School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Bruce GuthrieUsher Institute, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Matt SuttonHealth Organisation, Policy and Economics Research Group, Centre for Primary Care & Health Services Research, School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
John GilliesUsher Institute, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Stewart W MercerUsher Institute, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK stewart.mercer@ed.ac.uk.ORCID 0000-0002-1703-3664

Funding

Department of Health [UK]
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesThe UK faces major problems in retaining general practitioners (GPs). Scotland introduced a new GP contract in April 2018, intended to better support GPs. This study compares the career intentions and working lives of GPs in Scotland with GPs in England, shortly after the new Scotland contract was introduced. DESIGN AND

settingComparison of cross-sectional analysis of survey responses of GPs in England and Scotland in 2017 and 2018, respectively, using linear regression to adjust the differences for gender, age, ethnicity, urbanicity and deprivation.

participants2048 GPs in Scotland and 879 GPs in England.

main outcome measuresFour intentions to reduce work participation (5-point scales: 1='none', 5='high'): reducing working hours; leaving medical work entirely; leaving direct patient care; or continuing medical work but outside the UK. Four domains of working life: job satisfaction (7-point scale: 1='extremely dissatisfied', 7='extremely satisfied'); job stressors (5-point-scale: 1='no pressure', 5='high pressure); positive and negative job attributes (5-point scales: 1='strongly disagree', 5='strongly agree').

resultsCompared with England, GPs in Scotland had lower intention to reduce work participation, including a lower likelihood of reducing work hours (2.78 vs 3.54; adjusted difference=-0.52; 95% CI -0.64 to -0.41), a lower likelihood of leaving medical work entirely (2.11 vs 2.76; adjusted difference=-0.32; 95% CI -0.42 to -0.22), a lower likelihood of leaving direct patient care (2.23 vs 2.93; adjusted difference=-0.37; 95% CI -0.47 to -0.27), and a lower likelihood of continuing medical work but outside of the UK (1.41 vs 1.61; adjusted difference=-0.2; 95% CI -0.28 to -0.12). GPs in Scotland reported higher job satisfaction, lower job stressors, similar positive job attributes and lower negative job attributes.

conclusionFollowing the introduction of the new contract in Scotland, GPs in Scotland reported significantly better working lives and lower intention to reduce work participation than England.

Indexed as

General PractitionersAttitude of Health PersonnelCross-Sectional StudiesEnglandHumansJob SatisfactionScotlandSurveys and Questionnaireshealth policyorganisation of health servicesprimary care

Identifiers

PMID33127639
PMCPMC7604859

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.