Editorial: Introducing Volume 6 of London Journal of Primary Care: community-oriented integrated care

Abstract

Through alternate-monthly issues, London Journal of Primary Care Volume 6 picks up the challenge of designing healthcare systems that are of the people – that bring the dimensions of community to bear on practice for integration. This is community-oriented integrated care. Starting froman acknowledgement that community involvement has been a long-enduring feature of health policy, we bring together established ideas of what it means for integrated practice, drawing on a range of examples. We contend that although national policy is necessary to set the context for integrated care that is oriented towards local communities, how to achieve this remains contested. Nevertheless, the mechanisms to achieve this are already richly exemplified in a range of local settings.