GPs in some areas of England and Wales are actually being offered cash to cut the number of referrals to hospitals under the drive to gather efficiency savings, putting patient health at risk, according to the British Medical Association’s new head Mark Porter.
Primary care trusts (PCT) and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are offering GP practices financial incentives to refer less patients for costly hospital care, going against advice to improve the quality of referrals on clinical grounds alone, Porter, who was recently elected head of the BMA council, told The Guardian.