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The Department of Health has published best practice guidance to help health bodies and practitioners deliver high quality convenient care closer to people's homes.1,2 Implementing care closer to home—convenient quality care for patients will provide commissioners and NHS service providers with practical support for the introduction of more specialised services locally, which will be delivered by Practitioners with a Special Interest (PwSI). The guidance includes:

• an introduction to shifting services in to the community
• a step by step guide on the issues involving the redesign of patient care using PwSIs
• a nationally recognised locally delivered accreditation process for PwSIs (GPs and pharmacists), which will ensure services and the individuals working within them are underpinned by excellent clinical governance.

Practice-based commissioning will support the move of specialised services, where appropriate, to more convenient locations such as medical and dental practices, or community pharmacies. If successfully introduced, it is hoped that 'close to home' care will improve patients' experiences, care, and health outcomes through better resource use, and shorter waiting lists and journey times. Discussing the guidance, Health Minister, Andy Burnham commented: 'Practitioners with Special Interests, as well as other health professionals, all have a key role to play in delivering these services — taking the pressure off acute hospitals and providing high quality care to patients.'

There are a number of examples of best practice around the UK; therefore, to help you in the development of your own local specialised services we will review examples of these successful initiatives in future issues of Guidelines in Practice.

Julia Morris, Editor
julia.morris@mgp.ltd.uk

References

1. Department of Health. Implementing care closer to homeÑconvenient quality care for patients. London DH, 2007.G