Outpatient services and primary care

"In developing new models of care for the NHS, it should not be assumed that community-based care will be cheaper than conventional hospital-based care. Possible reasons care in the community may be more expensive include supply-induced demand and addressing unmet need through new forms of care and through loss of efficiency gained from concentrating services in hospitals. Evidence from this study suggests that further shifts of care into the community can be justified only if (a) high value is given to patient convenience in relation to NHS costs or (b) community care can be provided in a way that reduces overall health-care costs."

Outpatient services and primary care: Scoping review, substudies and international comparisons
E Winpenny, C Miani, E Pitchforth, S Ball, E Nolte, S King, J Greenhalgh, M Roland
Health Services and Delivery Research, 2016, 4(15)

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