Then, the patient can receive free care or referrals to specialists from the doctor. GPs thus can provide comprehensive data regarding patients with a variety of conditions, from a wide range of demographic groups. Currently, 3,500 GP practices, encompassing a population of 23 million patients, contribute to the national QSurveillance database. The system is the largest and most regularly updated health tracking system in the world (National disease surveillance, 2009, BJCIM).

The system can respond effectively to health alerts. For example, given concerns over the swine flu epidemic upon the horizon, "the QSurveillance primary care tracking database has increased the level of detail" in its regular weekly and daily reports to government and health authorities. Daily reporting now includes: "patients reporting flu-like symptoms in the last day, patients with flu who have been prescribed antivirals, patients prescribed antivirals without a confirmed flu diagnosis, hospital admissions related to flu, the uptake...
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