GPs will be "paid not to treat you"?

Seriously.

I have said before that Lansley hates hospitals and the proof has been revealed by Pulse magazine (subs required) which says:

Pulse exclusively revealed that the Government is planning to tie practices pay to their effectiveness in bringing down hospital referral rates.

That is, GPs will be paid more if they do not refer you for specialist treatment. Lansley hates hospitals. He quite rightly identifies that the public equates the NHS with hospitals and so to achieve his aim of crushing the NHS he has to close hospitals.

As I have pointed out before, the last time that GPs were given the purse strings (GP fundholding) the result was that you were 7% less likely to be referred to a specialist in a fundholding GP. Think about that. Understandably fundholding was popular with GPs who profited from it, but was very unpopular with patients (who pay them!) who felt that their doctor was more concerned with the cost than the clinical outcome.

However, this is far too tame for Lansley. Pulse quotes a report from the Kings Fund and say:

"Up to a third of GPs’ referrals face being rejected by their local commissioning consortium ... could mean GPs having every decision to refer having to be approved by their consortium leaders."

So not 7% less likely to be referred to a specialist, but 33% less likely. And you may find your doctor says to you "I think that you will need an operation, but I cannot book you until accounts have approved the treatment ... and they only approve two thirds of treatments". The next few years will be a frightening time for patients.