ABSTRACT
There is growing international interest in the functioning and performance of health services in the primary care sector. While this in part stems from concerns about the future of the sector in troubled times, it mainly derives from an increasing recognition of the strategic role of primary care in the health systems of the developed world. The second Dutch National Survey of General Practice (DNSGP-2) is one of a series of 'monitors' of primary and ambulatory care in a growing number of countries. The Dutch model of general practice is similar to that found in a number of other countries such as the UK, Australia and New Zealand, in that it has sought to combine the best aspects of the general practitioner (GP) as family doctor with the role of gatekeeper. There is evidence that the strength of general practice - as judged by service profiles - is related to its gatekeeping role.
