Attitudes to follow-up after uncomplicated surgery--hospital out-patients or general practitioner?

The attitude of 216 patients, 10 hospital doctors and 80 general practitioners (GPs) to hospital follow-up after uncomplicated surgery for non-malignant disease was assessed. Hospital doctors felt that most patients (86%) could have been satisfactorily followed-up by their GP and in most cases (89%), the GP was willing to provide the service. However, 183 patients (85%) found their visit to hospital out-patients worthwhile and only 41 patients (19%) would have preferred to have visited their GP instead. In fact, 157 patients (73%) had already seen their GP before their return to surgical out-patients. In most cases, hospital follow-up appears to be unnecessary. In this series, if suitable post-operative patients were followed-up by their GP, there would be a reduction of 20% in the number of old patients returning to out-patients.