Explainer: polyclinics, GP led health centres

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What is a polyclinic?

Polyclinics are a new way of us delivering high quality, integrated health care across Camden. This is a new way of GPs and other health and social care professionals working together to provide you with improved local care. 

NHS Camden believes that polyclinics are a way of giving residents greater access to healthcare in their community, reducing the number of visits to hospitals so that residents can receive care closer to home. 

So how does it work?

A polyclinic is not just a building. It is a central hub in the community where different types of health and social care are all under the same roof.  

We aim to have 4 polyclinics in Camden by 2012. Each polyclinic will look after roughly 60,000 people.

What will they be like?

They will be similar to the award winning Kentish Town Health Centre which we hope will become the first polyclinic in Camden.

What is the thinking behind polyclinics? 

There are 4 main principles:

• services that focus on individual needs and choices
• integrated care for each patient
• facilities and services that improve the quality of life for Camden residents
• reduce health inequalities – giving all residents, especially from hard to reach communities, access to health services they need

How is Kentish Town Health Centre different?

It is a wonderful example of how we can increase local services to the community. It is home to the James Wigg Practice – the oldest GP practice in Camden. Patients can also access a wide range of other services including baby clinics and breast cancer screening.

So what will the new polyclinics contain?

Each polyclinic will have some or all of the following services:

• GP surgery – we will either create a new practice or re-locate an existing one
• outpatient appointments
• minor surgical procedures
• tests
• healthy living classes
• district nursing
• pharmacy
• management of long term conditions
• community services provided by NHS Camden, Camden Council or voluntary organisations
• 8am-8pm GP opening hours without appointment

Where will your local polyclinic be?

We have identified 4 places in Camden where we believe can best serve the health needs of local people and offer the best value for money. 

Hampstead

Where? - Royal Free Hospital, serving 60,000 local residents

Why? - The Royal Free is an easy to reach location that is familiar to local people who know it as a hospital that already provides high quality healthcare. We want to build on this reputation by investing in the expansion of health and social care services. 

Kentish Town

Where? - Kentish Town Health Centre and the Peckwater Centre, serving 50,000 local residents

Why? - The brand new multi-million pound Kentish Town Health Centre already provides a wide range of health and social care. It is located at the heart of one of our most deprived areas in the borough.

South Camden

Where? - New GP led health centre Euston Road, serving 40,000 local residents and increasing to 60,000 by 2015

Why? - The population of South Camden will increase in the coming years and we need to provide more services to cope with this increase. We want the polyclinic to be close to University College Hospital (UCLH). 

Kilburn

Where? - Serving 60,000 residents

Why? - This will be a new building for Kilburn residents who have some of the greatest health inequalities in Camden.  

What will happen to your local GP practice? 

No matter where you are registered or who you are registered with, you and your GP will also be able to use the facilities at your local polyclinic. This means that instead of making long journeys to outpatient or diagnostic clinics, you will receive most of your primary healthcare locally.

GP-led health centres 

We want to make it easier for you to see a GP on the days that you want and at the times that you want.  We plan to open a new GP-led health centre in the south of the borough towards the end of 2009. 

There will be more GPs available to Camden residents. The new centre will be open from 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year.

You don’t have to be registered or have an appointment to use the centre.

Why south of the borough?

Because unlike other parts of Camden, there is a shortage of GPs in this area. 

So apart from GPs, what else will be at the centre?

A final decision on what services will sit alongside the GP practice will be taken later this year.

We will be asking your views on what this range of services should be.

Urgent care centres

We want to make it easier for you to receive urgent care when you need it.

We plan to open urgent care centres in Camden. They will be open 7 days a week, 365 days a year. If you need urgent primary care treatment you will be able to walk in and be seen by a highly trained urgent care clinician.

We are currently piloting this scheme at the Royal Free Hospital and we intend to expand urgent care in the south of the borough.