BMA - Charging GPs the costs of inappropriate use of A&E services - An unworkable idea, says GP leader - 17 Apr 08

• Extract from : http://tinyurl.com/5vc2ex

Charging back to GPs the costs of inappropriate use of A&E services by their patients, is not a good idea in either theory or practice says Dr Laurence Buckman, chairman of the BMA’s GPs Committee.

Commenting on a Health Service Journal story (17.04.08) that the government is considering charging the cost of inappropriate patient use of A&E services back to GPs, Dr Laurence Buckman, said:

• “This is not a workable idea and would very rapidly leave GP practices with no funding to support the on going care of the patients. On average patients contact their family doctor’s surgery four or five times a year. There is a finite amount of money given to practices to provide patient services. Taking it away by charging back costs if patients went to A&E or elsewhere would not be an incentive, it would be a punishment and work as a disincentive to work in areas with high A&E use."

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