Commissioners from all 31 PCTs in London are expected to give the go-ahead next month to pilot Polyclinics. Each is likely to cost in the region of £20m. The Polyclinics would be built next year and start treating patients by 2010.

The physical construction and layout of healthcare facilities are key factors in the creation and maintenance of a safe, secure environment. Major operational and financial benefits can be gained from including security considerations in the very earliest stages of the design process, says Ian Johnson, British Security Industry Association (BSIA) Security Consultancies Section Chairman.

North East Essex Primary Care Trust is stepping up plans for new health centres under NHS LIFT. The health centres are being planned for West Mersea and Wivenhoe, and a new GP surgery for St Anne's, Colchester. These plans had been suspended but the PCT Board is now working with Realise Health Ltd to progress them

By David Lacey, a member of the BCS Security Forum and a leading international security expert

With the recent completion of the hundredth primary care centre under the NHS LIFT programme, it can be said that LIFT has had a significant impact in renewing primary care infrastructure which had been neglected for so long. It has produced buildings of quality that are helping to transform the delivery of a much wider range of primary care services.

Maintaining a comfortable environment for both staff and patients is clearly a priority for any primary healthcare organisation. However, many practises and health centres do not realise that taking steps to improve energy efficiency can help rather than hinder these efforts.