English

Noun

ployclinic

1. A clinic in which diseases of many sorts are treated; especially, an institution in which clinical instruction is given in all kinds of disease.

References

In the UK a polyclinic is a place where several doctors' practices have been brought together with other medical facilities. Polyclinics have been mooted in a report by British peer Lord Darzi as a way to modernise the provision of family doctors and non-hospital medical services in the UK.

While the idea is fairly new in the UK, polyclinics have flourished in Germany and across eastern europe as an alternative to smaller hospitals. There is opposition to polyclinics in the UK from individuals, patients organisations and hospitals who see them as a threat to their patient income.

Polyclinic Services

Outpatient care - Podiatry, tissue viability, diabetes screening and leg ulcer clinics

GPs - Three practices, employing 18 family doctors

Specialist dental care - Highly-trained dentists on hand to treat people with behavioural problems, phobias and to carry out complex root canal surgery

Independent living service - Multi-disciplinary unit housing district nurses, community matrons, physios and rehab specialists

Mental health and sexual health clinics on site along with a children's service offering speech therapy

References