Organisational developments in contemporary primary care

Organisational developments in contemporary primary care are the principal subject of the ten studies selected to support this PhD application on the basis of published works. The local practice and central policy determinants of these developments are discussed as a critical interaction, which is now having a profound impact on both the concepts and functions of primary care and the shape of the NHS itself. The studies are classified and described individually in three sections, according to the main methodological approach used in each research project. The approaches were: participant observation, action research and case studies. Concluding comments suggest that the focus on relationships represents the distinctive contribution of the works covered by the Statement