Mr Bacon was speaking as the National Audit Office (NAO) published its report into the provision of out-of-hours care in England. The report finds that many primary care trusts lacked the experience, knowledge and information needed to commission and deliver services effectively. Mr Bacon, a member of the Commons public accounts committee, said:

“The introduction of the new system of out-of-hours care has been beset by confusion and misunderstanding. Many primary care trusts were, in essence, left to make it up as they went along. It is also worrying that, after a year, the Department of Health has still not clarified whether primary care trusts should arrange for a service that responds to any requests for help or only to the most urgent calls”.

Situation in Norfolk

National Picture

The NAO found that the true cost of providing medical cover out-of-hours, at £392 million, is far higher than the expected figure of £322 million and that these costs were also the subject of misunderstanding between the Department of Health and primary care trusts. PCTs failed to understand how the Department had calculated the costs of a GP opt-out from providing cover and subsequently underestimated their own costs for taking up the out-of-hours service.

Mr Bacon added: “Across England, the true cost of providing an out-of-hours service was £70 million more than expected. Primary Care Trusts are currently being forced to make painful choices in order to combat increasing deficits in the NHS. There is still some way to go. We need to know whether out-of-hours cover is supposed be an urgent service or also an unscheduled care service, which is not the same thing”.

5 May 2006

See also:
NAO REPORT: The