More questions than answers

doi:10.1136/bmj.39360.402083.BE

BMJ 2007;335:735 (13 October), doi:10.1136/bmj.39360.402083.BE

Letters

The primary care market

More questions than answers

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Pollock et al ask "how will National Health Service spendingbe accounted for in the new primary care market?"¹

When I asked to see the financial details of the contracts withprivate providers the reply was, "I can confirm that the departmentholds details of the cost of the Walk in Centre and generalmedical services, however it is not currently prepared to releasethis information."

With all the talk of competition, some questions remain. Whyare personal medical services, alternative medical providerservices, and private contractors not offered the same capitationsas general medical service contractors, determined by an allocationformula that takes account of patients' needs?² Why did theadvisory board for alternative medical provider contracts containseveral of the private companies that are now providing primarycare services?³

A final detail, the Barking and Dagenham surgery and walk-incentre (that reputedly received £5m ( ${euro}$ 7m; $10m) for . . . [Full text of this article]