Under One Roof

Will polyclinics deliver integrated care?

Candace Imison, Chris Naylor, Jo Maybin
June 2008 | ISBN 978 1 85717 569 1 | 67 pages | £10

Government policy is driving a fundamental shift of care from hospitals to more community-based settings. There is a growing expectation that this shift will be supported by the development of a network of new facilities in which primary, community and secondary care services are co-located, often referred to as polyclinics. Will this model improve the quality and accessibility of health care and deliver cost savings? Drawing on published information and original research into facilities similar to the polyclinic model in the United Kingdom and abroad, this report identifies and explores both opportunities and risks in relation to: quality of care, accessibility of services and cost.