GPs offered cash bonuses to hit swine flu uptake targets

http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/story.as...nes_1 _101109






GPs offered cash bonuses to hit swine flu uptake targets
10 Nov 09
By Lilian Anekwe
Exclusive: GPs at the centre of one of the summer's swine flu hotspots have
been offered bonuses worth thousands of pounds extra for hitting vaccination
targets, Pulse can reveal.

NHS managers in Birmingham are so worried about the prospect of a winter
outbreak that they have offered practices up to 50% over and above the
payments agreed between the GPC and NHS Employers if they vaccinate a high
proportion of the population.

The revelation came as Pulse learned the Department of Health has given PCTs
the power to impose financial penalties on practices if they are forced to
suspend routine work, raising fears GPs will be treated starkly differently
by NHS managers during the outbreak depending on where they work.

NHS Heart of Birmingham revealed a sliding scale of bonuses, on top of the
£5.25 practices will get per vaccination of patients in target groups and
the relaxation of QOF patient survey thresholds if they hit the DH's uptake
target of 50.7% in at-risk patients under 65 years.

A spokesperson for the PCT said: 'In recognition of the additional workload,
the PCT will pay a high-coverage bonus.' GPs will get a bonus of 10% even if
they are 20% down on the Government target, and if they achieve more than
90% coverage the bonus will rise to 50%.

Dr Robert Morley, executive secretary of Birmingham LMC and a GP in the
city, said the extra payments were 'welcome'. 'We are asking every practice
to give us information about the burden of work so that we can arrange
payment if necessary.'

Pulse, however, has uncovered documents issued to PCTs by the DH, giving
trusts the power to impose financial penalties for the 'cessation or
reduction of clinical services'.

PCTs are also being encouraged to visit practices unannounced to check that
the workload pressures or staff absences given as reasons for suspension of
services are genuine and 'to validate them at any time during or after a
period of service suspension'.

The new guidance documents - distributed to PCTs by NHS Primary Care
Contracting, a policy-implementation body acting on behalf of the DH - fly
in the face of Government guidance issued to PCTs in August.

That document, Pandemic Flu: Planning and Responding to Primary Care
Capacity Challenges, encouraged trusts to pay practices that were forced to
provide cover for neighbouring practices under buddying-up arrangements up
to £1,250 per 1,000 patients and advised that 'the PCT should not take any
action to recover monies paid during the period the practice is closed'.

A DH spokesperson said: 'It is only right PCTs and GPs are well prepared for
all circumstances.'

Swine flu cases in England rose by 8%, from 78,000 to 84,000, last week. GPs
have begun the task of vaccinating those in at-risk categories.

Last week, amid calls from the Conservatives, the Government announced it
planned to extend the vaccination programme to children aged between five
and 16.

Birmingham's swine flu bonus plans

-
30-49.9% coverage - bonus of 10%
50-59.9% coverage - bonus of 15%
60-69.9% coverage - bonus of 20%
70-79.9% coverage - bonus of 25%
80-89.9% coverage - bonus of 30%
90-99.9% coverage - bonus of 50%
Source: Heart of Birmingham PCT

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...

http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/story.as...nes_1 _101109






GPs offered cash bonuses to hit swine flu uptake targets
10 Nov 09
By Lilian Anekwe
Exclusive: GPs at the centre of one of the summer's swine flu hotspots
have been offered bonuses worth thousands of pounds extra for hitting
vaccination targets, Pulse can reveal.

NHS managers in Birmingham are so worried about the prospect of a
winter outbreak that they have offered practices up to 50% over and
above the payments agreed between the GPC and NHS Employers if they
vaccinate a high proportion of the population.

The revelation came as Pulse learned the Department of Health has
given PCTs the power to impose financial penalties on practices if
they are forced to suspend routine work, raising fears GPs will be
treated starkly differently by NHS managers during the outbreak
depending on where they work.

NHS Heart of Birmingham revealed a sliding scale of bonuses, on top of
the £5.25 practices will get per vaccination of patients in target
groups and the relaxation of QOF patient survey thresholds if they hit
the DH's uptake target of 50.7% in at-risk patients under 65 years.

A spokesperson for the PCT said: 'In recognition of the additional
workload, the PCT will pay a high-coverage bonus.' GPs will get a
bonus of 10% even if they are 20% down on the Government target, and
if they achieve more than 90% coverage the bonus will rise to 50%.

Dr Robert Morley, executive secretary of Birmingham LMC and a GP in
the city, said the extra payments were 'welcome'. 'We are asking every
practice to give us information about the burden of work so that we
can arrange payment if necessary.'

Pulse, however, has uncovered documents issued to PCTs by the DH,
giving trusts the power to impose financial penalties for the
'cessation or reduction of clinical services'.

PCTs are also being encouraged to visit practices unannounced to check
that the workload pressures or staff absences given as reasons for
suspension of services are genuine and 'to validate them at any time
during or after a period of service suspension'.

The new guidance documents - distributed to PCTs by NHS Primary Care
Contracting, a policy-implementation body acting on behalf of the DH -
fly in the face of Government guidance issued to PCTs in August.

That document, Pandemic Flu: Planning and Responding to Primary Care
Capacity Challenges, encouraged trusts to pay practices that were
forced to provide cover for neighbouring practices under buddying-up
arrangements up to £1,250 per 1,000 patients and advised that 'the PCT
should not take any action to recover monies paid during the period
the practice is closed'.

A DH spokesperson said: 'It is only right PCTs and GPs are well
prepared for all circumstances.'

Swine flu cases in England rose by 8%, from 78,000 to 84,000, last
week. GPs have begun the task of vaccinating those in at-risk
categories.

Last week, amid calls from the Conservatives, the Government announced
it planned to extend the vaccination programme to children aged
between five and 16.

Birmingham's swine flu bonus plans

-
30-49.9% coverage - bonus of 10%
50-59.9% coverage - bonus of 15%
60-69.9% coverage - bonus of 20%
70-79.9% coverage - bonus of 25%
80-89.9% coverage - bonus of 30%
90-99.9% coverage - bonus of 50%
Source: Heart of Birmingham PCT



Isn't socialized medicine great? They figured out that the more
vaccinated the less it will cost them in the long run. It is all cost
driven, not care driven.

This is what just passed in the US house and they will charge the
average family 7000 a year for the privilege, plus and additional tax
for the uninsured. They modeled this bill under GB's where they disallow
breast surgery for most and prostate surgery for most, not counting all
the other ancillary disallows.