GP leader calls for end to MMR bonus

January 29, 2003 11:43

A LEADING spokesman for GPs in Norfolk today called for the Government to scrap the way it hands out bonuses to surgeries over fears children are being dropped from patient lists because they have not received the controversial MMR vaccine.

Peter Harvey, medical secretary of the Local Medical Committee (LMC), said GPs were being placed under added pressure to keep their rate of immunisation up — or risk their practice missing out on thousands of pounds in Government handouts.

Surgeries in Tunbridge Wells are being investigated by the Department of Health following allegations three of them removed 24 children from their registers to boost the proportion of youngsters receiving the all-in-one measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.

Practices receive thousands of pounds each year from the Government depending on what percentage of patients opt for the jab, which has been linked to the development of autism in young children.

Dr Harvey said there were no instances of Norfolk GPs striking off patients to hit targets, but understood the pressures which could have forced doctors in other parts of the country to take such drastic measures.

"The Government pays GPs to immunise children, but they do it in such a stupid way," he said.

"The difference of receiving large payments and none is slim. If one or two patients decline the MMR vaccine for reasons which they are entitled the GP is penalised, even though the GP has offered the treatment to the patient.

"Some GPs in other parts of the country have been doing it. Having said that, it's no fault of our own that they don't have MMR.

"The Government should reward surgeries for offering MMR."

During the investigation into the Tunbridge Wells accusations, the Community Health Council said GPs had echoed Dr Harvey's views.

"They have indicated that they feel forced to take their line by the Government's attitude to MMR and patient choice," they wrote in a report.

"The practice believes, therefore, that the approach should be to lobby Government for a change in the system that removes these targets from a doctors remuneration so that parents see GPs as unbiased advisers."

James Elliott, Director of Primary Care for Norwich Primary Care Trust, said: "The practices in Norwich are achieving their targets for childhood immunisations and we've had no reports of this happening."