What Greece can learn from UK primary care experience and empirical research.

Greece is in the midst of a devastating multifaceted crisis. Because of the drastic budget cuts to avoid putting at risk social and health services, the country is facing unprecedented challenges. In the current resource-limited environment, a shift to a fully operating primary care system is an essential component of any future, sustainable healthcare system.1 In this context, Greece should explore lessons from other countries, such as the UK, to ensure that more than the most basic care is provided during the crisis. As well as full primary care coverage, service quality control, professional revalidation, and the linking of research with practice are priorities. The UK experience provides the opportunity to look into the evolution of a general practice-driven system, build on its achievements and avoid possible …