A recent Editor's reply to a reader stated: ‘Your letter is interesting and worrying. Our FOI response asked what overall savings PCTs had been able to identify through PBC, and expected a figure for net savings. NHS Northants appears to have interpreted our request in a deliberately misleading manner.'
The Pulse FOI request asked: ‘What are the total savings delivered through PBC in each year since it was launched in your PCT?' NHS Northants faithfully calculated the total savings figures used to calculate freed-up resources and prescribing incentive schemes. If net savings had been requested we would have provided this instead. NHS Northamptonshire did not deliberately misinterpret the question and always answers FOI requests in good faith.
From Tony Delaney
Media and public relations manager, NHS Northamptonshire
