General practice closures or mergers: a survival analysis of contributing practice.

Practice contract type and geographic location (region and rurality) were key factors associated with closures or mergers.

For example, rates ranged from 3.7% to 19.7% by geographic region.

Greater risk of closure or merger was associated with losing or failing to gain patients (hazard ratio v medium increase 1.68 (95%CrI: 1.44, 1.96), lower baseline funding, poorer clinical quality, higher socioeconomic deprivation and certain contract types, but not the supply of general practitioners or nurses.