Objectives: To investigate the extent of problems in recruiting general practitioners and to determine which practice characteristics affect recruitment--in particular, to see if practices with deprived patients have more recruitment problems.
Design: Postal questionnaire survey in August 1995.
Subjects: 489 consecutive practices that had advertised for a partner in the BMJ from January to April 1995.
Main outcome measures: The number of applicants, the practices, satisfaction with their quantity and quality, and whether a successful appointment was made.
Results: 442 (90%) practices replied. 262 practices (60%) were not very satisfied or very dissatisfied with the number of applications they received; 15 (3%) received no applications. There was a significant difference in the number of applications received by practices in different NHS regions. The 32 practices with the highest proportions of patients eligible for deprivation payments received a median of five applicants compared with 10 for practices without deprivation.
Conclusion: There is a widespread problem in recruiting general practitioners. Recruitment is hardest in areas with the greatest health needs.