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Carr-Hill has failed over deprivation

The review of the global sum formula is long overdue. Deprivation isn't a factor in the Carr-Hill formula.

Review of Carr-Hill formula could lead to 30% swings in funding

Carr-Hill measured the time that patients spent with GPs in consultation, and as deprived areas were and are under-doctored it didn't find any need for a weighting for deprivation – but it wouldn't, because patients in these areas simply got what was available.

Professor Roy Carr-Hill himself recognised this, and also recognised that what he had observed did not measure the difference that more primary care could make to improving health in areas of deprivation.

The Resource Allocation Working Party recognised this, and there is a fiddle factor placed in the funding of PCTs to take it into account. Unfortunately, PCTs don't pass on the funding they receive to their practices.

From Dr John Ashcroft

Hallam, Derbyshire