NHS Executive plans to encourage GP fundholding

The NHS Executive has announced that it is to review the support available to fundholding general practices. The health minister, Dr Brian Mawhinney, said that the review would be carried out over the next few months and would examine among other things the rules governing the use of savings: “For example, should it be possible to spend savings on patient care outside the scope of fundholding or, as the National Association of Fundholding Practices has suggested, on clinical audit, training, or research? And if we enable fundholders to spend savings on …