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Let’s put NHS managers to the balanced scorecard test

I have just read your editorial on the balanced scorecard system as applied to general practice and agree with your observations.

(Editorial: Wholly unbalanced scorecards)

Would we not have some useful arguments of our own if readers similarly scored a range of individuals and organisations using the following criteria – violet for annoying, blue for concerning and red for those causing significant difficulty or potential harm to practices.

I suggest doing this for the chief medical officer, the Department of Health, SHAs and PCTs.

All of the above are very good at sending out requests for data, often the day before the deadline.

If it is for something routine or mundane this is generally a violet, but not infrequently the request can significantly affect the running or financial status of the practice (which would score red).

We receive endless directives from the CMO – often unrelated to GPs or showing a lack of understanding of how the population reacts to scares. These are followed a day or two later by the relevant information. I would score this blue.

I suspect such a score would make some interesting reading. Should chief executives have their bonuses calibrated on their results?

From Dr Denys Wells, Walsall, West Midlands