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Payment incentives for GPs bear no relation to health benefits

BMJ 2006; 332 doi: 10.1136/bmj.332.7533.71 (Published 12 January 2006)
Cite this as: BMJ 2006;332:71.1

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  1. Roger Dobson
  1. Abergavenny

    Incentive payments in the new NHS contract for primary care bear no relation to likely health benefits for their patients, concludes new research.

    In some cases GPs will get paid more for treatments that save fewer lives than they will for treatments that achieve better results, say the authors of a study in the Journal of Health Services Research & Policy (2006:11:27-31).

    Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors for heart failure will save a maximum of 308 lives per 100 000 people in the population and attract a maximum practice payment of £2400 ($4240; €3510). Yet …

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