GPs ‘bribed’ to NOT send patients for cancer tests: NHS pays millions for rationing hip ops, heart checks and even tumour scans

‘GPs are being paid millions by the NHS to ration referrals for operations, scans and even cancer tests, an investigation reveals today.
Family doctors are being offered the financial incentives in a bid to slash the number of patients they send to hospital for a variety of procedures.
The incentives mostly cover non-urgent referrals for hip and knee replacements, cataract surgery, hearing tests and abdomen scans. But two health trusts have included urgent cancer scans in their schemes, and another two covered heart tests.
Patient groups said the payments were ‘profoundly wrong’, while one MP likened them to ‘bribes’. Doctors’ leaders are also deeply opposed to the schemes, branding them an ‘offensive slur’ on GPs’ medical judgement.’
Read more: GPs ‘bribed’ to NOT send patients for cancer tests: NHS pays millions for rationing hip ops, heart checks and even tumour scans