No Cover Image

Journal article 47 views 8 downloads

Exploring the equity of distribution of general medical services funding allocations in Wales: a time-series analysis

Jonny Currie Orcid Logo, Kathrin Thomas, Anne M Cunningham, Kerry Bailey, Haroon Ahmed, Daniel Farewell, Sally Lewis Orcid Logo

BJGP Open, Volume: 9, Issue: 1, Start page: BJGPO.2024.0080

Swansea University Author: Sally Lewis Orcid Logo

  • 71005.VoR.pdf

    PDF | Version of Record

    Copyright © 2025, The Authors. This article is Open Access: CC BY license.

    Download (1002.4KB)

Check full text

DOI (Published version): 10.3399/bjgpo.2024.0080

Abstract

Background Good access to quality primary care in high-income countries can improve population health. Access to primary care is, however, often not equal among socioeconomic groups; our analysis sought to explore whether funding, a determinant of service supply, is equitably distributed among GP pr...

Full description

Published in: BJGP Open
ISSN: 2398-3795
Published: Royal College of General Practitioners 2025
Online Access: Check full text

URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa71005
first_indexed 2025-11-28T16:01:39Z
last_indexed 2025-12-20T05:28:45Z
id cronfa71005
recordtype SURis
fullrecord <?xml version="1.0"?><rfc1807><datestamp>2025-12-19T11:17:49.0174882</datestamp><bib-version>v2</bib-version><id>71005</id><entry>2025-11-28</entry><title>Exploring the equity of distribution of general medical services funding allocations in Wales: a time-series analysis</title><swanseaauthors><author><sid>f800f55db95f30d9a4ebb0ed6e24fe8a</sid><ORCID>0000-0002-2369-2308</ORCID><firstname>Sally</firstname><surname>Lewis</surname><name>Sally Lewis</name><active>true</active><ethesisStudent>false</ethesisStudent></author></swanseaauthors><date>2025-11-28</date><deptcode>CBAE</deptcode><abstract>Background Good access to quality primary care in high-income countries can improve population health. Access to primary care is, however, often not equal among socioeconomic groups; our analysis sought to explore whether funding, a determinant of service supply, is equitably distributed among GP practices in Wales.Aim To explore the relationship between funding and deprivation among GP practices in Wales, to understand the equity of current funding policies.Design &amp; setting A time-series analysis was undertaken in the primary care setting in Wales.Method We obtained funding data for general practices in Wales between 2014 and 2022, and explored the equity of distribution using the percentage of practice patients living in the 20% most deprived small areas in Wales. We generated a linear regression model exploring the relationship between practice funding and deprivation, with an interaction term with time in years.Results Practice funding rose for all practices between 2014 and 2022. Practice deprivation and time in years were both associated with practice funding, with increases in practice deprivation associated with reduced funding allocations, and time being associated with a small increase in funding over the study period. Over the period of analysis of 2014&#x2013;2022, for every 10% increase in patients living in the most deprived lower layer super output areas, funding per patient decreased on average by 1%.Conclusion General practices in Wales in more deprived areas receive discernibly less funding per patient than those in less deprived areas. Given the potential and likelihood primary care can affect population health outcomes, this underinvestment may be contributing to existing health inequalities and requires urgent further analysis and action.</abstract><type>Journal Article</type><journal>BJGP Open</journal><volume>9</volume><journalNumber>1</journalNumber><paginationStart>BJGPO.2024.0080</paginationStart><paginationEnd/><publisher>Royal College of General Practitioners</publisher><placeOfPublication/><isbnPrint/><isbnElectronic/><issnPrint/><issnElectronic>2398-3795</issnElectronic><keywords/><publishedDay>24</publishedDay><publishedMonth>4</publishedMonth><publishedYear>2025</publishedYear><publishedDate>2025-04-24</publishedDate><doi>10.3399/bjgpo.2024.0080</doi><url/><notes/><college>COLLEGE NANME</college><department>Management School</department><CollegeCode>COLLEGE CODE</CollegeCode><DepartmentCode>CBAE</DepartmentCode><institution>Swansea University</institution><apcterm>Another institution paid the OA fee</apcterm><funders/><projectreference/><lastEdited>2025-12-19T11:17:49.0174882</lastEdited><Created>2025-11-28T11:09:34.6312995</Created><path><level id="1">Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences</level><level id="2">School of Management - Business Management</level></path><authors><author><firstname>Jonny</firstname><surname>Currie</surname><orcid>0000-0003-1563-9854</orcid><order>1</order></author><author><firstname>Kathrin</firstname><surname>Thomas</surname><order>2</order></author><author><firstname>Anne M</firstname><surname>Cunningham</surname><order>3</order></author><author><firstname>Kerry</firstname><surname>Bailey</surname><order>4</order></author><author><firstname>Haroon</firstname><surname>Ahmed</surname><order>5</order></author><author><firstname>Daniel</firstname><surname>Farewell</surname><order>6</order></author><author><firstname>Sally</firstname><surname>Lewis</surname><orcid>0000-0002-2369-2308</orcid><order>7</order></author></authors><documents><document><filename>71005__35865__b978a09516c44fa58418ff0cec4db3fc.pdf</filename><originalFilename>71005.VoR.pdf</originalFilename><uploaded>2025-12-19T11:16:02.6816799</uploaded><type>Output</type><contentLength>1026458</contentLength><contentType>application/pdf</contentType><version>Version of Record</version><cronfaStatus>true</cronfaStatus><documentNotes>Copyright &#xA9; 2025, The Authors. This article is Open Access: CC BY license.</documentNotes><copyrightCorrect>true</copyrightCorrect><language>eng</language><licence>https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</licence></document></documents><OutputDurs/></rfc1807>
spelling 2025-12-19T11:17:49.0174882 v2 71005 2025-11-28 Exploring the equity of distribution of general medical services funding allocations in Wales: a time-series analysis f800f55db95f30d9a4ebb0ed6e24fe8a 0000-0002-2369-2308 Sally Lewis Sally Lewis true false 2025-11-28 CBAE Background Good access to quality primary care in high-income countries can improve population health. Access to primary care is, however, often not equal among socioeconomic groups; our analysis sought to explore whether funding, a determinant of service supply, is equitably distributed among GP practices in Wales.Aim To explore the relationship between funding and deprivation among GP practices in Wales, to understand the equity of current funding policies.Design & setting A time-series analysis was undertaken in the primary care setting in Wales.Method We obtained funding data for general practices in Wales between 2014 and 2022, and explored the equity of distribution using the percentage of practice patients living in the 20% most deprived small areas in Wales. We generated a linear regression model exploring the relationship between practice funding and deprivation, with an interaction term with time in years.Results Practice funding rose for all practices between 2014 and 2022. Practice deprivation and time in years were both associated with practice funding, with increases in practice deprivation associated with reduced funding allocations, and time being associated with a small increase in funding over the study period. Over the period of analysis of 2014–2022, for every 10% increase in patients living in the most deprived lower layer super output areas, funding per patient decreased on average by 1%.Conclusion General practices in Wales in more deprived areas receive discernibly less funding per patient than those in less deprived areas. Given the potential and likelihood primary care can affect population health outcomes, this underinvestment may be contributing to existing health inequalities and requires urgent further analysis and action. Journal Article BJGP Open 9 1 BJGPO.2024.0080 Royal College of General Practitioners 2398-3795 24 4 2025 2025-04-24 10.3399/bjgpo.2024.0080 COLLEGE NANME Management School COLLEGE CODE CBAE Swansea University Another institution paid the OA fee 2025-12-19T11:17:49.0174882 2025-11-28T11:09:34.6312995 Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences School of Management - Business Management Jonny Currie 0000-0003-1563-9854 1 Kathrin Thomas 2 Anne M Cunningham 3 Kerry Bailey 4 Haroon Ahmed 5 Daniel Farewell 6 Sally Lewis 0000-0002-2369-2308 7 71005__35865__b978a09516c44fa58418ff0cec4db3fc.pdf 71005.VoR.pdf 2025-12-19T11:16:02.6816799 Output 1026458 application/pdf Version of Record true Copyright © 2025, The Authors. This article is Open Access: CC BY license. true eng https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
title Exploring the equity of distribution of general medical services funding allocations in Wales: a time-series analysis
spellingShingle Exploring the equity of distribution of general medical services funding allocations in Wales: a time-series analysis
Sally Lewis
title_short Exploring the equity of distribution of general medical services funding allocations in Wales: a time-series analysis
title_full Exploring the equity of distribution of general medical services funding allocations in Wales: a time-series analysis
title_fullStr Exploring the equity of distribution of general medical services funding allocations in Wales: a time-series analysis
title_full_unstemmed Exploring the equity of distribution of general medical services funding allocations in Wales: a time-series analysis
title_sort Exploring the equity of distribution of general medical services funding allocations in Wales: a time-series analysis
author_id_str_mv f800f55db95f30d9a4ebb0ed6e24fe8a
author_id_fullname_str_mv f800f55db95f30d9a4ebb0ed6e24fe8a_***_Sally Lewis
author Sally Lewis
author2 Jonny Currie
Kathrin Thomas
Anne M Cunningham
Kerry Bailey
Haroon Ahmed
Daniel Farewell
Sally Lewis
format Journal article
container_title BJGP Open
container_volume 9
container_issue 1
container_start_page BJGPO.2024.0080
publishDate 2025
institution Swansea University
issn 2398-3795
doi_str_mv 10.3399/bjgpo.2024.0080
publisher Royal College of General Practitioners
college_str Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
hierarchytype
hierarchy_top_id facultyofhumanitiesandsocialsciences
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofhumanitiesandsocialsciences
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
department_str School of Management - Business Management{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences{{{_:::_}}}School of Management - Business Management
document_store_str 1
active_str 0
description Background Good access to quality primary care in high-income countries can improve population health. Access to primary care is, however, often not equal among socioeconomic groups; our analysis sought to explore whether funding, a determinant of service supply, is equitably distributed among GP practices in Wales.Aim To explore the relationship between funding and deprivation among GP practices in Wales, to understand the equity of current funding policies.Design & setting A time-series analysis was undertaken in the primary care setting in Wales.Method We obtained funding data for general practices in Wales between 2014 and 2022, and explored the equity of distribution using the percentage of practice patients living in the 20% most deprived small areas in Wales. We generated a linear regression model exploring the relationship between practice funding and deprivation, with an interaction term with time in years.Results Practice funding rose for all practices between 2014 and 2022. Practice deprivation and time in years were both associated with practice funding, with increases in practice deprivation associated with reduced funding allocations, and time being associated with a small increase in funding over the study period. Over the period of analysis of 2014–2022, for every 10% increase in patients living in the most deprived lower layer super output areas, funding per patient decreased on average by 1%.Conclusion General practices in Wales in more deprived areas receive discernibly less funding per patient than those in less deprived areas. Given the potential and likelihood primary care can affect population health outcomes, this underinvestment may be contributing to existing health inequalities and requires urgent further analysis and action.
published_date 2025-04-24T05:32:58Z
_version_ 1856805775075180544
score 11.095862

Similar Items