Literature Review: Development of Community Health Centres

In the context of the 'Health Care for London' review by Lord Ara Darzi (Health Minister), a London PCT asked PHAST to provide evidence for the provision of services in health centres in the community. The PCT wanted to make its decisions about the size and composition of these health centres based on the best available evidence. The Trust's local population has a high number of highly deprived, young, ethical diverse people. Key problems are high coronary vascular disease death rates, poor cancer survival, as well as high rates of diabetes and infant mortality. The trust was building (or converting from existing health centres) five centres serving secondary care services for 50,000 people each into community health centres, this shifting services into the community.

The literature review examined the evidence to underpin the shifting of services into the community through five new health centres and reported on the evidence base for what can be moved and how it can be best delivered in the new setting.