Robbing other parts of the NHS to pay for a GP overspend is crazy - Webb

5.31.57pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 1st Sep 2005

Responding to the publication of performance scores for GP's surgeries, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Steve Webb MP said:

"The Government's obsession with league tables obviously knows no bounds. There is a real danger that medical professionals are under pressure to earn points and funding, rather than working with patients to decide local priorities.

"The fact that less than ten per cent of the ranking score is based on patients views raises serious questions about the Government's claim to be creating a 'patient-led' NHS.

"Because GPs have scored more points than was expected, the NHS now faces a bill for hundreds of millions of pounds which will undoubtedly come from cuts in other services. Robbing other parts of the NHS to pay for an unexpected overspend on GP services is a crazy way to run a health service."