BMJ  2007;335:691 (6 October), doi:10.1136/bmj.39356.414745.DB

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Polyclinics are not the answer for NHS in London, says BMA

London

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

Proposals by the health minister Ara Darzi to set up polyclinics in London to bring health services closer to patients threaten to fragment existing community services, which have a track record of delivering high quality care, says the BMA.

In a response to Lord Darzi's recent review of health care in London the BMA warns that the proposed plans may not produce the predicted savings or improvements in the care of patients that the government envisages (BMJ 2007;335:61 doi: 10.1136/bmj.39273.467697.DB).

"We concede that health care in London is not perfect, but we have several problems with Ara Darzi's proposals," said Hamish Meldrum, chairman of the BMA Council.

Establishing polyclinics, a key component of Lord Darzi's plans for London, would require considerable "up front" investment in new buildings, equipment, and staff, and it is difficult to see how they would be cost effective, the BMA's response says.

Community hospitals . . . [Full text of this article]

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