Why skip the general practitioner and go to the accident and emergency department?

The families of 441 children seen in accident and emergency departments over a 10 week period were interviewed to find the reasons why they bypassed their general practitioner and took the child to the department. One-quarter of the children did see the general practitioner first. Almost 40 percent were taken straight to the accident and emergency department because it was seen as providing more appropriate treatment than the general practitioner, while nearly one-quarter went because the department was seen as more accessible. The closer the child's home was to either the general practitioner or the accident and emergency department, the more likely that service was to be used. Children from lower socio-economic status families were more likely than other children to see their general practitioner first.