{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,15]],"date-time":"2026-08-15T10:16:15Z","timestamp":1786788975038,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":29,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,12,23]],"date-time":"2024-12-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1734912000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Evaluation Clinical Practice"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,2]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title><jats:sec><jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title><jats:p>GPs, at least in the United Kingdom, often run behind schedule in their clinics. This lateness is an inherently ethical problem due to the negative consequences it generates.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>The paper outlines these negative consequences, attempts to classify the major reasons for such lateness, explores the ethical status of each of these reasons, and offers suggestions for how the negative consequences might be managed.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Findings and Discussion<\/jats:title><jats:p>The major reasons for lateness can be classified as GP\u2010related, patient\u2010related, and third party\u2010related. The major negative consequences of lateness in general practice might be classified as the potential disturbance to quality and safe care, the dissatisfaction of and inconvenience to subsequent patients, and the disruption of timely care. These negative consequences must be burdened by some party\u2014either the patient who is related to the reason for the lateness, or other patients who are not. While a strict equality approach to managing such lateness does not consider patients\u2019 clinical needs, GPs compensating by actively \u2018catching up\u2019 in their clinics threatens quality and safety of care. The paper argues for minimising the negative consequences of lateness for all parties, while simultaneously promoting equity with regard to patients\u2019 clinical needs. The ethical status of each major reason for lateness in general practice is explored, and suggestions are offered for how each might be managed to minimise the negative consequences and promote equity.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1111\/jep.14293","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,12,23]],"date-time":"2024-12-23T07:55:27Z","timestamp":1734940527000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["On Lateness: The Ethics of Running Behind Schedule in General Practice"],"prefix":"10.1111","volume":"31","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1165-6753","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Richard C.","family":"Armitage","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Academic Unit of Population and Lifespan Sciences, School of Medicine University of Nottingham, Clinical Sciences Building, Nottingham City Hospital Campus Nottingham UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,12,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_8_2_1","article-title":"At Your Service: A Proposal to Reform General Practice and Enable Digital Healthcare at Scale","author":"Phillips S.","year":"2022","journal-title":"Policy Exchange"},{"issue":"183","key":"e_1_2_8_3_1","first-page":"634","article-title":"Practice Activity Analysis: Punctuality of Appointments","volume":"27","author":"Birmingham Research Unit of the Royal College of General Practitioners","year":"1977","journal-title":"Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.l2389"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_5_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.j3955"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_6_1","unstructured":"Glenavy Family Practice Why Do Doctor's Appointments Run Late? 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