ABSTRACT
The extension of general practice is more about the growing reach of a philosophy of care than it is about any increase in the size of buildings or even personnel. The philosophy is rooted in relationships and their potential to contribute to health and healthcare. As the size of the general practice team and premises has extended so too has the service focus, from individual patients to special needs target groups and then to the aggregate registered lists of a practice as a single and coherent local population. The case exemplars from Kangasala and Wimborne illustrate this transfer of functions especially well. The extended general practice scores well across the board, but particularly in terms of individual patients and collaborative interprofessional developments. But there are deficits, as the experience at Viseu and Anogia in particular illustrate. Conceptually, the extended general practice should be a source of substantial and sustained social capital.
