The BEACH study is a continuous national study of general practice activity. Each year approximately 1000 randomly sampled GPs provide data about 100 000 encounters. It contains data about pathology ordered at these encounters. In 2009-2010, GPs ordered 45.0 pathology tests/batteries per 100 encounters or 29.3 per 100 problems. At least one pathology test order was recorded at 17.7% of encounters (for 13.2% of problems managed), chemistry tests accounting for more than half of all pathology tests. Since 2000, rises in the number of tested problems and the number of problems managed at GP encounters contributed to overall increases in the proportion of encounters involving a pathology test, and the number of tests ordered by GPs. BEACH pathology data have been used to investigate: • the problems responsible for the highest volume and growth of testing in primary care and how GPs’ testing behaviour in the management of these problems has changed; • the extent to which GP-ordered pathology for type 2 diabetes, hypertension, lipid disorders, weakness/tiredness, ‘health checks’ and overweight/obesity aligned with testing recommended in inter/national guidance; • expected volume of GP-ordered testing in 2020 using patient age-sex-specific test rates, extrapolated using GP-attendance rates and national population projections.