Despite recent improvements to the medical cover provided by general practitioners in China, the family doctor service is still in its infancy and will require regular improvements to meet expectations, the top health authority has said.

By the end of last month, GPs had signed treatment contracts with more than 500 million people, accounting for more than 35 percent of the population, according to Liu Liqun, an official for grassroots health at the National Health and Family Planning Commission, speaking at a conference in Beijing on Dec 17.

"However, we need to continue to make efforts to promote the service because the coverage provided by GPs has not received the recognition it deserves, and services lag far behind those in developed countries," he said.

In the days following the announcement, the figure was met with disbelief by many members of the public, who said they were not aware of family doctor services in their areas.

In response, the commission said family doctors are not private practitioners who provide services to individual patients. Instead, they work in partnership with other medical professionals to provide services to entire communities.

A shortage of GPs means they have to focus on providing services to key groups, including seniors, pregnant women, children and people with disabilities or chronic illnesses.

Speaking at a media briefing on Friday, Song Shuli, a commission spokeswoman, said most GPs work at the grassroots, such as community clinics and hospitals, and village health centers. Some are retired physicians from large hospitals. They act as "health gatekeepers" and primarily treat residents who have signed contracts with them.

"They are obliged to begin providing services as soon as the contract has been signed," she said.

Contracted patients

Many areas have taken steps to promote the family doctor service, including providing subsidies to grassroots medical institutions based on the number of people who have signed service contracts with local GPs.

However, one GP, who asked not to be identified, told China Daily that in some areas a shortage of family doctors means many people who have signed up for the service do not have access to a GP, and also claimed that some regional health authorities have exaggerated the number of people who have signed contracts as a means of receiving more subsidies and funding.