Silwal et al Plos ONE 2023;18(2):e0281163. From Aotearoa New Zealand. 6% of population not enrolled with primary care organisation. People who were enrolled had lower amenable mortality, adjusting for sociodemographic factors.

Published today, my new book, Primary Health Care and Population Mortality. Includes overview of international evidence on the link between GP numbers and mortality, plus 22 further mechanisms by which primary health care reduces deaths.

Asaria & team studied the effects of increased investment in & supply of primary care in England 2004 to 2011. The findings offer clues on restoring general practice today. Policies on inequalities in access can make a difference. Policymakers take note. jech.bmj.com/content/70/7/6…

Solve the GP workforce crisis, says Guardian. But it’s not just about the 8.00 rush for appointments, it’s about population health as well. HTTPS:www.the guardian.com/comment is free/2023/may/14/the-guardian-view-on-the-governments-primary-care-plan-a-diversionary-tactic

The Guardian view on the government’s primary care plan: a diversionary tactic | Editorial theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

Testing for Covid on hospital admission stopped in England in August 2022 and in September in Scotland. In both countries new hospital onset infections increased. Did we stop testing too soon? Pak et al. Doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2023.1261

In-Hospital Deaths From ACSCs Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic jamanetwork.com/journals/jaman… Should the Covid inquiry consider the role of primary care in the pandemic? The findings in this paper about hospital deaths in Japan suggests it ought to.

Lessons From Across the Pacific—Health Policy Debates Worth Having, Part 1 jamanetwork.com/journals/jama-… Here is a US commentator looking enviously at countries building strong primary care. Can we restore primary care in this country too?

‘the UK seems to have a more specialist-dominated mix of doctors than average for our basket of countries’ Says Kings Fund report How does the NHS compare to the health systems of other countries. UK once led the world in primary care. What went wrong?

Improving life expectancy with primary health care publish.csiro.au/HC/HC23058 Primary care saves lives. J o PHC editorial has summary of the mechanisms & discusses some implications. But 15 yrs to reach numbers of GPs needed even if new NHS plan succeeds.

Association of Established Primary Care Use With Postoperative Mortality Following Emergency General Surgery Procedures jamanetwork.com/journals/jamas… US evidence showing prior use of primary care associated with lower post op mortality - shows the value of primary care.

Vaccine hesitancy may explain higher covid deaths in Republicans in Florida & Ohio. See: Excess Death Rates for Republican and Democratic Voters in Florida and Ohio During the COVID-19 Pandemic jamanetwork.com/journals/jamai…

Doi:10.1001/jamasurgery.2023.2742 US study showing lower mortality in 6 the months following emergency general surgery among patients having a primary care visit in year before hospital admission. More evidence of the importance of primary care in health care outcomes.

UK government keeping files on teaching assistants and librarians’ internet activity theguardian.com/politics/2023/…

Does shortage of GPs matter? A cross-sectional study of practice population life expectancy bjgp.org/content/early/… In England, numbers of fully qualified GPs are associated with the life expectancy of general practice populations.

Higher #GeneralPractice funding, more fully qualified GPs per 1000 patients, improved continuity, and some measures of clinical care were associated with higher patient life expectancy doi.org/10.3399/BJGP.2… @Richard41698459 University of Leicester UoL Press Office #PrimaryCare