Time to focus on the blue dots. Designing care around people, not buildings: an RCP toolkit (2 July 2025)

Summary

On 16 April 2025, the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) brought together clinicians, patients, educators, and health leaders to discuss the UK government’s proposed ‘left shift’ from hospital to community. The event quickly evolved into a conversation about how we can empower patients and communities by investing in integrated, people-centred care systems.

Content

Five core principles for ‘blue dot’ care

1. Person-centred: start with what matters to patients, not just what’s the matter with them.
2. Integrated: care should flow across settings and sectors.
3. Preventative: focus on maintaining health, not just treating disease.
4. Collaborative: generalist and specialist medicine should be equal partners.
5. Connected: building relationships and trust should be a key priority.