PBC hampered by 'adverse incentives' says report

By Nigel Praities

GPs are prevented from taking on more cancer care in the community due to ‘adverse incentives' in the way hospital trusts are paid, a Department of Health report has found.

The report looks at the effect of payment by results on the provision of cancer services and found it prevented GPs from developing practice-based commissioning proposals and taking on more work from hospitals.

‘There are disincentives for Trusts to co-operate with those pathways, because it will mean the loss of simple money making activity from their casemix.

‘Trusts have a genuine grievance; however in the longer term – once simple work has been removed from all Trusts, tariff will eventually adjust to the new case-mix,' the report said.