Cancer patients consultation patterns in primary care and levels of psychological morbidity: findings from the Health Survey for England

Aim: To determine the consultations patterns in general practice, for people with cancer and other chronic illnesses, and to assess the levels of psychological morbidity.

Methods: The following questions from the 1999 Health Survey for England were analysed: presence of a self-reported long-standing illness and its nature, numbers of contacts with general practitioner (GP) in the previous 2 weeks, contact with a GP in the previous year for anxiety/depression or a mental, nervous or emotional problem, presence of a self-reported long-standing illness of mental illness, anxiety or depression, and GHQ12 scores. For comparison purposes, data from respondents reporting having asthma, arthritis, diabetes, other long-standing illness, and no long-standing illness are presented.

Results: A third of respondents with cancer had contact with a GP in the last 2 weeks, which was slightly higher than the other illness group, however the pattern of attendances for those respondents who did consult were similar between groups. A quarter of people with cancer had spoken to a GP in the last year about being anxious/depressed, or about a mental, nervous or emotional problem. A third of cancer respondents reported high GHQ12 scores, but self-reported long-standing illness of 'mental illness/anxiety/depression' was low (4%).

Conclusion: The findings suggest that psychological morbidity may be unrecognised in some cancer patients. There is potential for these symptoms to be identified and treated in primary care, especially given the ongoing nature of the patient-doctor relationship and the easy access primary care affords.