Chamber and committees

The ambulatory care model has been successfully developed in various countries: the United States, Scandinavia and England. Such centres offer a day care service combining in one process consultation, diagnosis and intervention, usually by day surgery. They operate on an elective basis, that is they do not carry out emergency work.The concept is being taken forward in Scotland as part of the Scottish Executive's Programme for Government. The relationship between ambulatory and non-ambulatory care in a particular area is of fundamental importance, and was one of the themes explored in a national conference on ambulatory care which the Scottish Executive Health Department organised on 30 November. The guidelines which will then be produced will also address the relationship between the two types of care.