The funding allocated to England’s new clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) could be based on the age of their patient population rather than levels of deprivation, the health secretary, Andrew Lansley, has suggested.

Speaking at a conference for CCG leaders in London last month, Lansley said that age is the principal determinant of healthcare need and could drive the allocation of funding to CCGs. The funding will be determined by the NHS Commissioning Board and the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation, an independent expert body, which will look at factors in a CCG’s population data that are likely to give rise to demand for NHS services. “What is likely to make the biggest difference is elderly populations who are not in substantial deprivation,” …