ABSTRACT
In times of a rising shortage of General practitioners (GPs), task delegation is in the centre of attention. This chapter investigates the role of practice assistants nowadays and how this role has been changing since the late 1980s. It explains the relationship between delegation to practice assistants and workload. The chapter also investigates the role the practice assistants play in the practice nowadays: in what respect this role has been changing since the late 1980s, and which factors determine task delegation to practice assistants. Fifty years ago, the organisational structure of an average Dutch general practice was fairly simple: a single-handed practice with a GP, assisted by his wife or practice assistant with no specific education. In healthcare policy, a trend towards delegation of more complex tasks to highly skilled support workers can be observed. This policy intends to solve problems of scarcity and workload.
