Table 1 Definitions of community hospitals.

"A general practitioner community hospital can be defined as a hospital where the admission, care and discharge of patients is under the direct control of a general practitioner who is paid for this service through a bed fund, or its equivalent." [8]

"A local hospital, unit or centre providing an appropriate range and format of accessible health care facilities and resources. These will include inpatient and may include outpatient, diagnostic, day care, primary care and outreach services for patients provided by multidisciplinary teams. Medical care is normally led by general practitioners in liaison with consultants, nursing and allied health professional colleagues, as necessary, Consultant long stay beds, primary care nurse-led and midwife services may also be incorporated" [9]

"Community hospitals are local hospitals, units or centres whose role is to provide accessible health are and associated services to meet the needs of a clinically defined and local population As an extension of primary care they enable GPs and primary health care teams to support people within their one communities. Community hospitals play a major role in rehabilitation and also offer palliative care, health promotion, diagnostic, emergency, acute and therapeutic services." [18]

"The general practitioner community hospital is one dominated by a primary care orientation in which patient selection, admission and management are all under the direct supervision of the general practitioner. These hospitals serve a confined geographical locality ...." [25]