BMJ  2007;335:61 (14 July), doi:10.1136/bmj.39273.467697.DB

News

Polyclinics open till 10 pm proposed for London

London

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

GP supersurgeries that stay open till 10 pm and provide facilities for radiography and trauma care have been called for by the surgeon and newly appointed health minister Sir Ara Darzi, in a report.

Healthcare for London: A Framework for Action, commissioned by NHS London, the capital's strategic health authority, calls for a radical overhaul of the capital's health services, which it says are "not meeting Londoners' expectations."

Topping the list of proposals—and immediately prompting fears of hospital closures—is a network of supersurgeries or "polyclinics," which would massively expand the role of primary care.

The polyclinics would include GPs' surgeries; diagnostics such as radiography and pathology; outpatient clinics; facilities for urgent care and minor procedures; and associated services, such as pharmacies.

Professor Darzi said, "Londoners face a stark divide between primary care and hospital care, and we believe the polyclinic will fill that gap.

"Most GPs provide an excellent . . . [Full text of this article]

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