ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book has been written at a time of unprecedented focus on primary health care and on general-practice-based primary health care in particular. The government has espoused its commitment to a primary-care-led NHS and to a 'strategic shift' from secondary to primary care. Practice managers also typically occupy a singular role within organizations owned by the General practitioners (GPs) who practice medicine within them. In practice management, as in their clinical work which is shared with other professionals, they are in a position to determine who does what. GP and practice manager pairs from practices in two health commission areas were recruited to attend two one-day workshops each. The workshop format was chosen because it brought GPs and practice managers out of their practices for two days and enabled them to discuss the above issues with other GPs and practice managers.
