Family Doctors and Public Policy : A Study of Manpower Distribution

Originally published in 1973, this book investigates the spatial distribution of General Practitioners (GPs) via the Designated Area Allowance (DAA) which was introduced in England amid controversy in 1966. It analyses the effectiveness of the DAA and presents the results of a survey conducted among general practitioners in England, covering the patterns of geographical mobility among GPs, the relationship between choice of practice area and other connections with the locality. It also discusses the professional and personal differences between GPs in areas which are well served with GPs and those which are not. The book provides an important historical discussion of the inequalities in the distribution of general practitioners in England in the late twentieth century.

After completing Doctors and Public Policy, Rex joined the Medical Research Council and worked on a variety of socio-medical projects. He was appointed Professor of Social Policy at the University of Glasgow and was also the Founding Director of its Crichton Campus. After retirement, he worked at universities in Mawali, the United Arab Emirates and Ethiopia.