Patterns of healthcare use among adolescents attending an urban general practitioner-led urgent care centre.

INTRODUCTION: Adolescence is a time of increasing health and peak fitness, as well as increasing health risks. In the UK, primary care is free at the point of access, yet, adolescents aged 10-19 years are the lowest users of primary care services, and disproportionately high users of emergency services. The effect of new general practitioner (GP)-led urgent care centres in meeting the needs of adolescents are unknown. METHODS: We used routinely collected data to describe the demographics and attendance pattern among adolescents at two new colocated GP-led urgent care centres at Hammersmith and Charing Cross Hospitals, London. We also compared attendance rates with those observed in routine general practice and emergency departments. RESULTS: Adolescents formed 6.5% (N=14 038) of total urgent care attendances. 13.2% (95% CI 12.9% to 14.1%) was recorded as not being registered with a GP. Commonest reasons for attendance were musculoskeletal conditions and injuries (30.2%), respiratory tract infections (12.5%) and limb fractures (5.1%). Adolescents aged 15-19 years were more likely to attend the centres (30.6 vs 23.4, per 100, p