ABSTRACT
The traditional gateways to the Public Health Care(PHC) system, the general practitioner (GP) and the Accident and Emergency (A&E) department, have accordingly been subject to regular reviews and periodic reform. Significant inequities in access to PHC exist within contemporary Britain. In particular, disaggregation reveals a number of so-called difficult to reach group's whose use of PHC services is in fact below expectation. Among the most well known cases are vulnerable migrants, people who are homeless, intravenous drug users, and street sex workers. The British government seeks to address the PHC needs of disadvantaged populations through a linked set of policy imperatives. Legislation has made it clear that Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) have a responsibility for all citizens within their catchment areas. General medical practice remains a key element, not least as it continues to provide the majority of PHC services, but it is no longer a uniform operation.
