Table 5 Why does personal continuity matter from the patient's perspective?

'Well, there's a link comes and you've a got a confidence because they have cared about you and sorted things out. You get a confidence ... I was very sick with my third child with kidney problems. He used to say to me, 'Now don't worry, I'll be there' ... It was just that took me through the months, you know, knowing that he'd be there and looking after me sort of thing.'

Mrs M3 (diabetes)

'She knows the kind of person I am, she knows that I don't moan about my health to her because I only go when it's something really that I can't deal with myself. ... If it's my own doctor, as I keep calling her, I immediately get into conversation with her, because well, I like her and that's that. But if it's a doctor I don't know or I've only seen maybe once before, I sit down at his desk and just wait for him to speak to me.'

Mrs T2 (high blood pressure)

'When I go to [my doctor] he knows my case, he knows exactly what's what, where [other doctors] have to more or less look up everything. ... I think when you're seeing different doctors, I honestly feel they're only there to help you out as far as they can that day, because you're only seeing them that day.'

Mrs P2 (rheumatoid arthritis)