May practise on their own or as part of a group of GPs and may also be required to provide out-of-hours or emergency care.

Treat all common medical conditions and refer patients to hospitals and other medical services for urgent and specialist treatment.

They focus on the health of the whole person combining physical, psychological and social aspects of care.

The holistic approach of general practice aims to take into consideration the biological, psychological, and social factors relevant to the care of each patient's illness. Their duties are not confined to specific organs of the body, and they have particular skills in treating people with multiple health issues. They are trained to treat patients of any age and sex to levels of complexity that vary between countries.