Interface activity between primary and secondary care is being increasingly seen as an essential feature of high‐quality, safe mental health services. In this article, Dr de Silva compares a proactive community mental health team (CMHT) approach with that of a mental health polyclinic for the assessment and triage of new referrals for depression, cognitive problems and medically unexplained symptoms, with reference to the model used in his own service in Whitby. Copyright © 2009 Wiley Interface Ltd