The confederation, which represents the views of NHS organisations, said polyclinics need to fit in with health services already provided through children's centres and extended schools to be effective.
Jo Webber, deputy director of policy at the NHS Confederation, said: "Polyclinics would be a real benefit, if they can co-ordinate services for children within all these environments."
Health minister Lord Ara Darzi has proposed polyclinics as a way of providing NHS services in London. These centres could include post- and ante-natal clinics, community paediatric services and child and adolescent mental health care.
In a fresh report on the proposal, Ideas from Darzi: Polyclinics, the NHS Confederation called for commonsense debate on the move. The report, published last week, cautioned that polyclinics might not be suitable for all areas and that ministers must ensure the centres are created to improve the quality of care, not to save money.
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