Something very much like this was used when I was in the army (and I
expect it still is). The medical centre was manned continuously by
either a nurse or medical tech, and ALL out-of-hours calls were
screened before being put through to the doctor. The duty doctor
visited the medical centre at 1100, and telephoned at about 1700 to
see whether he or she was required for anything. I don't recall any
occasions when there were any serious difficulties, either for
servicemen or families; with a little patience and training, all
staff rapidly learned when to call the duty doctor and when to hold
on until the next routine contact.
As I say, it worked well for both service personnel and families;
whether it would work equally well in an entirely civilian setting is
another matter, but I don't see why not!
Prit Buttar
GP, Keynsham
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