primary care

American  

noun

1. medical care by a physician, or other healthcare professional, who is the patient's first contact with the healthcare system and who may recommend a specialist if necessary.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• primary-care
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of primary care

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

Despite being classed as a minor road, Turner Road is home to Colchester's hospital and a primary care centre.

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

“At a time when our nation is facing a health care shortage, especially in primary care, now is not the time to cut off the student pipeline to these programs,” the lawmakers argued.

From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026

The work was carried out in more than 100 primary care centers within Spain's National Health System.

From Science Daily • May 19, 2026

In November, a new primary care doctor told Glannan her heart sounded like “a bunch of galloping horses,” Glannan recalled.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

We’ve had people come in saying they want to sue some specialist, and we’ll say, ‘We don’t think that doctor was negligent. We think it’s your primary care doctor who was at fault.’

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell