Table 2 Selected baseline characteristics for patients and general practitioner surgeries by intervention status^a

 Female/male, n (%)

166 (59.1)/115 (40.9)

127 (58.0)/92 (42.0)

0.807

 Age, years

59.2 ± 13.6

57.1 ± 15.3

0.101

 Urban/rural, n (%)

169 (60.1)/112 (39.9)

121 (55.3)/98 (44.7)

0.272

 Clinical group, n (%)

  - Dyspepsia

144 (51.3)

120 (54.8)

  - Suspected colonic malignancy

87 (31.0)

68 (31.1)

  - Chest pain

46 (16.4)

27 (12.3)

  - COPD^c

4 (1.4)

4 (1.8)

 Hospital appointment with senior house officer/specialist, n (%)

130 (46.3)/151 (53.7)

96 (43.8)/123 (56.2)

0.588

 Given right to health care after assessment of referral, yes/no, n (%) ^d

222 (79.0)/59 (21.0)

168 (76.7)/51 (23.3)

0.587

 List size

830.8 ± 208.8

865.5 ± 100.7

0.475

 Female/male GP, n (%)

14 (58.3)/10 (41.7)

10 (43.5)/13 (56.5)

0.308

 Board certified, yes/no, n (%)

18 (75.0)/6 (25.0)

11 (47.8)/12 (52.2)

0.055

 Years experience

16.0 ± 10.4

15.2 ± 11.2

0.784

 Number of GPs in surgery

4.3 ± 1.6

4.0 ± 1.6

0.536

  - Median

5

5

  - Mode

5

5

 Female/male referring GP, n (%)

182 (64.8)/99 (35.2)

93 (42.5)/126 (57.5)

<0.00001

 Number of GPs in surgery

4.4 ± 1.5

4.0 ± 1.6

0.003

 Specialist, yes/no n (%)

189 (67.3)/92 (32.7)

114 (52.1)/105 (47.9)

0.000556

 Years experience

16.2 ± 12.0

15.4 ± 11.7

0.456

 Electronic/paper referral, n (%)

281 (100)/0 (0)

213 (97.3)/6 (2.7)

0.005