%0 Journal Article
%T Understanding access to general practice through the lens of Candidacy: a critical review of the literature.
%A Sinnott C
%A Ansari A
%A Price E
%A Fisher R
%A Beech J
%A Alderwick H
%A Dixon-Woods M
%J Br J Gen Pract
%V 0
%N 0
%D 2024 Jun 27
%M 38936884
%F 6.302
%R 10.3399/BJGP.2024.0033
%X <B>BACKGROUND: </B>Dominant conceptualisations of access to healthcare are limited, framed in terms of speed and supply. The Candidacy Framework offers a more comprehensive approach, identifying diverse influences on how access is accomplished.<BR><B>OBJECTIVE: </B>We aimed to characterise how the Candidacy Framework can explain access to general practice - an increasingly fraught area of public debate and policy.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>Qualitative review guided by the principles of critical interpretive synthesis.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>We conducted a literature review using an "author-led" approach, involving iterative analytically-guided searches. Papers were eligible for inclusion if they related to the context of general practice, without geographical or time limitations. Key themes relating to access to general practice were extracted and synthesised using the Candidacy Framework.<BR><B>RESULTS: </B>229 papers were included in the final synthesis. Each of the seven features identified in the original Candidacy Framework is highly salient to general practice. Using the lens of candidacy demonstrates that access to general practice is subject to multiple influences that are highly dynamic, contingent and subject to constant negotiation. These influences are socio-economically and institutionally patterned, creating risks to access for some groups. This analysis enables understanding of the barriers to access that may exist even though general practice in the UK is free at the point of care, but also demonstrates that a Candidacy Framework specific to this setting is needed.<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>The Candidacy Framework has considerable value as a way of understanding access to general practice, offering new insights for policy and practice. The original framework would benefit from further customisation for the distinctive setting of general practice.