A report from the King's Fund this week says that polyclinics could increase costs. Professor Martin Roland, director of the National Primary Care Research and Development Centre, fears they could become an 'expensive exercise in building new buildings without clear thought about what they would do.'

What do you think?

You don't have to be a scientist to guess that the costs will increase. Polyclinics will effectively increase the number of services delivered within the Community. That's a "luxury" that will have to be paid for. The same applies to accessibility. More requests for visits, most of them self-limiting illnesses, more likely prescriptions and interventions that could have been easily avoided.

If Hospitals should not close their services, then they will have to be financed as well. Of course, their revenue may decrease, but there will still be basic running expenses that will remain the same. And do you remember when Consultants were running sessions in GP practices? Well, it was too expensive...

You've mentioned building new buildings, and with gigantic interests that will have to be paid.

I stuggle to see a free NHS in the future. People will start to pay for performances and prescriptions in a way or in another.

Give me five years and we will see if I was right.

Personally, I would have invested in completely different issues: health education, prevention, reduction of clinical errors and reduction of litigations.

Surely they will not. So, I can see how politicians may not be that willing to introduce ticket. However, the payment of a ticket would not be seen as revolutionary in Europe. And yes, co-payments may be behind the angle if current vision of the NHs should not change.