ABSTRACT
A series of several focus groups with the primary health care teams was held to probe the perspectives of the nurses and doctors on the nurse practitioner role. A fuller account of the research methods employed is available elsewhere. The figures indicate a reasonable depth of penetration by the nurse practitioners into the population of the research practices over the period of 18 months, particularly in view of the fact that they were providing only 10 surgery consultation hours per week. The evaluation of the South Thames Region pilot nurse practitioner projects did include focus groups with patients, and found from these that patients valued a more relaxed and equal style of consultation with nurse practitioners, and also felt able to take a wider range of less specific and less serious health problems.
