Wednesday 27 August 2008

A good time to bury bad news

According to Public Servant:
The government tried to bury a report that showed NHS cancer services are being undermined by the internal market, according to the Liberal Democrats.

While the report commissioned by the Department of Health was finished in May 2008 it wasn’t published until 8 August, "a quiet day when most people are on holiday" and the opening day of the Beijing Olympics.

The report said that the payment by results (PbR) system meant hospitals treating patients who need complex operations and care lose "vast sums" of money. Also, PbR "actively discourages" investment in new technology and in new treatments known to improve patient outcomes.

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