According to a report in the Daily Telegraph, a new incentive scheme that pays GPs up to £100 for
every patient they keep out of hospital is causing concern among GP leaders. Forty PCTs are said to
be interested in the scheme devised by Torbay PCT. The project is known as a "local enhanced
service", which PCTs can introduce if they think it meets a local need. The Torbay scheme would
offer GPs £75 for every patient with chronic illness for whom they develop a detailed care plan.
Another £25 would be paid if the patient did not have to go to hospital.
The chairman of the BMA GPs' committee, said "I would not advocate direct financial incentives
triggered by some arbitrary reduction in referrals. Incentives do work but we would not want to
encourage perverse incentives that were not in the patients' best interest. We need to look at the
details of this. We must protect doctors from any accusations of unethical practice." A spokesman
for the Department of Health said that there were no plans to implement it nationwide but PCTs have
the discretion to commission such schemes if they consider them necessary
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Nice little earner - call all bronchitis pneumonia and earn a £100.00
"Orf her legs Doc" - delay admisison 24 hours and earn £75.00
We can be even more inventive than with Health promotion clinics.
Has Robert T-J heard any more locally?
David Jobson
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