Published 11 November 2009, doi:10.1136/bmj.b4698
Cite this as: BMJ 2009;339:b4698

Editorials

Capping earnings from private patients in NHS foundation trusts

Higher earnings must not compromise patient care and use of public money

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

The boundaries between public and private care in the NHS have never been clearly demarcated—not even in theory, let alone in practice. Recently the Department of Health announced that it will review the cap on foundation trusts’ earnings from private patients.1 As with the recent review of top-up payments,2 the review is the latest example of re-emerging tensions arising from historic fudging of a messy and complicated subject.

The department wants an alternative way of regulating private income that protects the interests of NHS patients and prevents taxpayers subsidising private care, but that also deals with anomalies in the current capping system, which have led to perceived unfairness between NHS hospitals and a potential restriction on innovation and trade.

The private patient income (PPI) cap was set out in section 44 of the National Health Service Act 2006 and was designed to allay fears that, in the words of the . . . [Full text of this article]

John Appleby, chief economist

1 King’s Fund, London W1G 0AN

j.appleby@kingsfund.org.uk


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