GP pay bill 1.8 billion above budget
A new pay contract for family doctors in England cost 1.76 billion pounds more than budgeted and has failed to deliver expected improvements in patient care, the government's accounting watchdog said on Thursday.
Inflation seen rising above targetThe salaries of partners in GP surgeries have soared 58 percent since the contract was agreed but productivity has fallen 2.5 percent a year, the National Audit Office (NAO) said.
The largest part of the overspend - measured between 2003 and 2006 - was due to an underestimate of how much doctors would earn through the contract's performance-related scheme, which pays practices more for meeting healthcare targets.
While there had been improvements in the care provided to sufferers of long-term conditions such as asthma and diabetes, the contract had failed to increase the low level of family doctors in some of the most deprived areas.
Karen Taylor, director of health audit at the NAO, said the contract, agreed in June 2003, had been poor for taxpayers.
"I think as far as the public and taxpayer is concerned, the benefits they should have been expecting to see have not materialised as yet to the extent they should have done.
"From their perspective, it's not a good deal for them."
The Conservatives said the government's negotiation of the GP contract had been "incompetent and hopeless."
"They made a basic error in not understanding what GPs were already doing and so underestimated how much the new contract would cost the taxpayer," said Conservative Health Spokesman Andrew Lansley.
The NHS Employers organisation, now responsible for contract negotiations, said the Audit Office's figures were misleading.
- 1 Banks may avoid worst of household debt pain
- 2 FAA proposes 3.8 million fine against American
- 3 Swaps spreads highlight credit stresses
- 4 Slower economy saps climate action
- 5 Besley says fighting inflation tough task
- 6 Poll shows leader swap would not save Labour
- 7 Weak sterling may not curb recession
|
|
|
