Choice of general practice (GP) in the National Health Service (NHS), the UKs universal healthcare
service, is a core element in the current trajectory of NHS policy. This paper uses an accessibility-based
approach to investigate the pattern of patient choice that exists for GPs in the London
Borough of Southwark. Using a spatial model of GP accessibility it is shown that particular population
groups make non-accessibility based decisions when choosing a GP. These patterns are assessed by
considering differences in the composition of GP patient registers between the current patient
register, and a modelled patient register configured for optimal access to GPs. The patient
population is classified in two ways for the purpose of this analysis: by geodemographic group, and
by ethnicity. The paper considers choice in healthcare for intra-urban areas, focusing on the role of
accessibility and equity
