In a survey of 7000 Londoners, 60% said improvement was needed in waiting times to see consultants, cleanliness in hospitals, waiting in A&E and for routine operations. Twenty-seven percent said they were dissatisfied with the running of the NHS compared to 18% nationally. To address these concerns, a report by a top London surgeon has been published which proposes a network of “polyclinics” throughout the capital.
If the proposals are adopted, the clinics would provide up to 50% of the outpatient treatment by 2017 – giving patients more access to care, closer to home. The polyclinics would include GP surgeries, diagnostics such as x-ray and pathology, outpatient clinics, urgent care, minor procedures and associated services such as pharmacies. Day surgery would be provided in local hospitals, outpatients would be seen in the community and people with long-term conditions like diabetes would be supported to stay at home. Patients needing specialist treatment, complex surgery or treatment for serious injury would be sent to a major acute hospital.
The report also highlighted the need for a stroke strategy to be implemented, to ensure stroke patients have rapid access to a CT scan and clot busting drugs. These drugs should ideally be given within three hours, but many are not even having the initial scan within 24 hours.
Sir Ara Darzi, Professor of surgery at Imperial College and author of the report Healthcare for London, commented: “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 and well-regarded service, but they do not have the facilities to undertake even quite simple diagnostics on site, which means patients face multiple trips to hospital for quite straightforward procedures.”
The report was commissioned by NHS London, the strategic health authority for the capital.
