Table 1

Frequency distribution and ORs of out-of-hours use across all variables

Access factorResponse categoryNumber of patientsNumber of patients reporting out-of-hours usePercentage reporting out-of-hours use (%)Unadjusted model*Adjusted model†
(n=214 139)
OR (95% CI)p ValueOR (95% CI)p Value
Ability to get through to surgery on telephone (n=556 133)Very easy230 26815 7826.85RefRef
Fairly easy246 06616 5416.720.98 (0.96 to 1.00)<0.0010.82 (0.79 to 0.85)<0.001
Not very easy59 09251798.761.31 (1.26 to 1.35)0.95 (0.90 to 1.01)
Not at all easy20 707210610.171.54 (1.47 to 1.61)0.99 (0.92 to 1.07)
Ability to see preferred GP (n=341 446)Always/almost always175 19611 3956.5RefRef
A lot of the time78 54665748.371.31 (1.27 to 1.36)<0.0011.24 (1.19 to 1.29)<0.001
Some of the time75 81371519.431.50 (1.45 to 1.54)1.27 (1.22 to 1.33)
Never or almost never11 89111889.991.60 (1.50 to 1.70)1.26 (1.16 to 1.38)
Ability to get urgent appointment (n=235 285)Yes177 57413 8407.79Ref––
No57 71156059.711.27 (1.23 to 1.31)<0.001––
Ability to get routine appointment (n=130 828)Yes111 87049924.46Ref––
No18 95813357.041.62 (1.52 to 1.73)<0.001––
Ability to get an appointment (n=366 113)Yes270 61218 8326.5––Ref
No69 72969409.1––1.21 (1.17 to 1.27)<0.001
Convenience of opening hours (n=538 911)Convenient475 55131 3776.2RefRef
Not convenient63 36062288.771.54 (1.50 to 1.59)<0.0011.42 (1.36 to 1.50)<0.001
Gender (n=567 049)Male241, 00715 3336.36RefRef
Female301 26724 7757.601.21 (1.19 to 1.24)<0.0011.08 (1.05 to 1.12)<0.001
Age (n=567 049)18–2420 325227010.11.59 (1.51 to 1.68)2.69 (2.45 to 2.95)
24–3446 94547469.21.44 (1.39 to 1.50)2.56 (2.40 to 2.74)
25–4463 95055748.01.24 (1.20 to 1.29)1.92 (1.81 to 2.04)
45–5486 74260836.60.83 (0.81 to 0.87)1.38 (1.30 to 1.46)
55–64111 10365055.5Ref<0.001Ref<0.001
65–74109 78763285.50.82 (0.79 to 0.85)0.84 (0.79 to 0.89)
75–8468 21858217.91.22 (1.17 to 1.26)1.09 (1.03 to 1.16)
85 or over19 871278112.32.00 (1.90 to 2.09)1.58 (1.44 to 1.72)
Ethnicity (n=567 049)White466 77734 5156.9RefRef
Mixed36853709.11.36 (1.22 to 1.51)<0.0011.18 (1.00 to 1.41)<0.001
Asian30 79028138.41.24 (1.19 to 1.29)1.08 (1.01 to 1.15)
Black14 2649826.40.93 (0.87 to 0.99)0.72 (0.64 to 0.81)
Other11 425142811.11.69 (1.60 to 1.79)1.39 (1.26 to 1.53)
Deprivation (n=567 049)Quintile 1 (highest)101 69967026.2RefRef
Quintile 2108 01474876.51.05 (1.02 to 1.09)<0.0011.07 (1.02 to 1.13)<0.001
Quintile 3108 02579506.91.12 (1.08 to 1.15)1.05 (0.99 to 1.11)
Quintile 4103 65083477.51.22 (1.18 to 1.26)1.10 (1.04 to 1.16)
Quintile 5105 55396228.41.38 (1.34 to 1.43)1.23 (1.17 to 1.30)
Presence of chronic disease (n=567 049)No157 17588855.4RefRef
Yes369 76631 2237.81.49 (1.46 to 1.53)<0.0011.74 (1.66 to 1.82)<0.001
Occupational status (n=567 049)Full time—able to take time off work114 69666585.5RefRef
Full time—unable to take time off work44 46933207.01.29 (1.23 to 1.34)<0.0011.06 (0.99 to 1.14)<0.001
Part time—able to take time off work45 82731466.41.18 (1.13 to 1.24)1.30 (1.21 to 1.39)
Part-time—unable to take time off work19 30115207.31.36 (1.28 to 1.44)1.14 (1.04 to 1.25)
Full time education78227368.61.62 (1.50 to 1.76)1.09 (0.94 to 1.25)
Not in work or education ‡294 82624 7287.71.44 (1.41 to 1.49)1.52 (1.45 to 1.61)

  • *Estimated from unadjusted analysis between each individual exposure or sociodemographic variable and out-of-hours use; p<0.001 for all association (joint tests for categorical variables).

  • †Estimated from one multivariate model adjusted for all exposure variables, gender, age, ethnicity, deprivation (using Index of Multiple Deprivation 2010 cut-offs), presence of chronic conditions, occupational status and random effect for practice; p<0.001 for all associations (joint Wald tests for categorical variables).

  • ‡Not in work or education includes unemployed, permanently sick or disabled, fully retired from work, looking after the home, doing something else.

  • GP, general practitioner.