Community Hospitals

Community hospitals are hospitals where most patients are admitted, and cared for, by their own GPs. They normally deal with :

• Acute medical care where patients cannot be cared for at home, but where the expertise and / or the specialist diagnostic facilities of a major specialist hospital are not required.
  
  
• Post acute care including rehabilitation.
  
  
• Casualty services.
  
  
• Palliative care.

They may also have :

• Diagnostic facilities (such as x-ray, ultrasound, sigmoidoscopy, cardiac assessment, telemedicine).
  
  
• Therapeutic facilities (such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, minor surgery, day hospital).
  
  
• Facilities for joint teams (such as community nursing teams and social work / care management teams).
  
  
• Specialist out patient clinics.
  
  
• Intermediate care clinics.

Hospitals often share expertise and equipment and offer services to patients not normally in their area.