ABSTRACT
In September 2009, Royal College of General Practitioners Scotland helped fund an unprecedented meeting involving general practitioners from the 100 most deprived general practices in Scotland. The college had set up a working group to produce a report on what general practices in Scotland could do to address inequalities in health. Practices had been ranked according to the proportion of the patients on their lists living in the most deprived 15% of data zones in Scotland that is groups of postcodes characterised by the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation. Deep End practices have from 44 to 88% of their patients in this category, and collectively serve about a third of people living in the most deprived 15% of data zones. Irish general practice is described as being at a crossroads, with major concerns about its future due to the imposition of emergency cuts to General Medical Services payments of 38% during the recession.
