Overnight calls in primary care: randomised controlled trial of management using nurse telephone consultation

Abstract

We recently published the results of a randomised controlled trial of a nurse telephone consultation service in primary care out of hours. 1 The new service, operating at evenings and weekends, significantly reduced general practitioners' workload and was at least as safe as the existing out of hours service. Contacts diminish sharply after about 10 pm, 2 and, anecdotally, a higher proportion of night calls necessitate consultation with a general practitioner. We report here a parallel trial aimed at establishing whether nurse telephone consultation was equally effective in managing workload at night.