ABSTRACT
The introduction of general practice fundholding in April 1991 led to the emergence nationally of many new specialist outreach clinics in fundholding practices. By 1994, although specialist outreach clinics in fundholding practices were believed to be an important development in local services in Sheffield, nothing definite was known about their impact. This chapter describes the extent of specialist outreach clinics in Sheffield and their activity patterns. Data were obtained from a survey of fundholding practices and from the health authority's outpatient database. The chapter shows the cumulative number of reported specialist outreach clinics in fundholding practices for each of the first four years of fund-holding. Routine outpatient attendance data were used to compare some of the characteristics of outreach and conventional hospital clinics attendances in 1994/1995. The chapter discusses the importance of specialist outreach clinics as a rapidly emerging new form of care. Careful evaluation of the costs and benefits of this new service should determine their future development.
