BMJ  2007;335:628 (29 September), doi:10.1136/bmj.39346.513808.3A

Letters

Darzi review of health care

None so blind

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

Heath puts forward some solid arguments against the polyclinic concept proposed in Lord Darzi's review of health care in London,1 but she is blind to the deficiencies in our services, cited in A Framework for Action.2

In some places, access to general practitioners' services, even by telephone, is inadequate. Some practices still close for half a day each week or are not open throughout the day. The problem of poor access and availability is perceived by public and politicians as unacceptable in a service that has received so much investment in recent years and as major contributors to the rise in emergency activity and attendance at hospital accident and emergency departments. Pressure is mounting on us to increase our hours of routine availability.

Polyclinics will not solve all these problems, but they will facilitate groupings of clinicians sufficient to offer extended hours and types of care and to act . . . [Full text of this article]

Martyn C Wake, joint medical director

Sutton and Merton Primary Care Trust, Nelson Hospital, London SW20 8DB

martyn.wake@nhs.net


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