07 July 2006
Doubts have been cast on the success of GP practice-based commissioning, despite government claims that 41% of practices have joined the scheme.
On July 6 health minister Lord Warner said that 3,454 out of 8,433 GP practices in England had taken up an incentive payment to take part in the initiative, which allows individual practices to buy care for their patients.
However, the British Medical Association and the King's Fund said practices that accepted the incentive payment would not necessarily become commissioners.
'It seems disingenuous to suggest that taking the first step along the road to commissioning is the same as commissioning the services,' said BMA GP leader Hamish Meldrum.
King's Fund acting policy director Richard Lewis added: 'These figures do not tell us how many practices are commissioning effectively in ways that produce better, more cost-effective services.'
He added: 'It is not clear how, in areas where primary care trusts are in deficit, they will be able to manage the conflicting aims of balancing their budgets and passing on savings to GP commissioners.'
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