ABSTRACT
New primary care organisations (PCO), and in particular primary care trusts, have the opportunity to bring fresh thinking into the development, delivery and monitoring of local health services and in particular community hospitals. PCO looking for guidance on community hospitals will find a mixed picture. The hospital as a community resource centre offers a base to community groups, voluntary agencies, self-help groups and complementary practitioners. Models of in-patient intermediate care include general practice community beds, nurse-led community beds, and nursing home beds with rehabilitation and social services transitional beds. A number of community hospitals stress their role in promoting independence, re-ablement and rehabilitation and health promotion and prevention work. Many community hospitals fulfil a variety of roles, and are managed in such a way that local frameworks incorporate both integrated intermediate care and community resource centre approaches. The community hospital is able to serve as a focus for health and social care as well as other associated functions and facilities.
