Community hospitals. Across the world, policymakers are considering options to reorganise the geography of healthcare delivery, renewing focus on community hospitals as a safe and efficient alternative for acute admissions. In a rural district in Norway, GPs have for many years been referring acutely ill patients to a local community hospital, and, in Social Science and Medicine, researchers gathered the views of patients, clinicians, and local authorities about perceived quality of this facility.1 The results were overwhelmingly positive. Patients valued the homelike atmosphere and friendly relationship with staff. Clinicians and administrative staff appreciated the chance to practise in a holistic and interdisciplinary way, cooperate with specialist services at nearby hospitals, and deliver continuity of care. The insights are useful for those considering how to develop services at the interface between primary and secondary care. They also serve as a useful reminder that the therapeutic landscape of an organisation stretches far beyond its walls and includes the culture and social context of the place.
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