UK surgery boost initiative rewards innovation:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
The UK's DoH has begun to pilot a programme to encourage surgeons to boost hospital activity, mainly in orthopaedic, ophthalmological and general surgery. The programme, which is being piloted in 32 trusts and involving some 400 doctors, aims to increase output by around 8,000 inpatient operations a year. It will also result in an additional 6,000 outpatient consultations a year, the DoH estimates. The incentives are being offered through three schemes: work undertaken outside core hours, productivity that exceeds targets and "achieving greater efficiency by working in radically different ways". The pilot will be evaluated in early 2005 to decide whether to extend the programme.