Hospitals and outpatient specialist clinics to which people go, after referral from primary health care services. These services are generally more specialized and further from where people live. They often include a greater range of diagnostic services such as X-ray and pathological laboratory services; they may also include specialized treatment, such as operating theaters, radiotherapy, and certain drug therapies not normally available in primary care.
The principal difference between primary and secondary services is in the range and specialization of the staff available.