The benefits in Primary Health Care and the patient from the application of the “family doctor” regulation

Primary Health Care (PHC) was established as a concept in 1978 in the Alma-Ata conference in Russia. The declaration of the World Health Organization rendered PHC the linchpin and the first point of contact of citizens with the National Health System. In Greece, it was included in Law 1397/1983 on the National Health System, but not fully adopting the content of the declaration. The main diversion from the declaration mentioned above was the non-obligatory contact of citizens with the commissioned structure of the PHC, the family doctor. This fact, in connection with the non-realization by the administration of the legislative requirement for urban-type health centers, within which the family doctor is active, has supplanted both his role and the PHY itself. The reasons for this practical approach were the different political ideologies, corporate and professional interests, as well as the lack of personalized adaptation of the legislative regulations to Greek reality. On the contrary, in Great Britain, the full implementation of the declaration has rendered PHC and consequently the institution of the family doctor high in the consciousness of wider social acceptance. Few legislative reforms have been made in terms of adapting the new data of harmonization to the reality of Great Britain, making it a long-standing,healthy health care system. In any case, an adapted function of the institution in the culture of the host country is considered imperative and essential because of the manifold positive manifestations in the health system and patients, as demonstrated by its excellent functioning in Great Britain. Keywords: Primary Health Care, National Health System, family doctor, National Health Policy.

Keywords: Primary Health Care, National Health System, family doctor, National Health Policy