Enfield medics have defended their use of the controversial ‘cash-for-cuts’ scheme and sought to reassure patients care standards in the borough are not being undermined.

The Enfield Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) said the cash-for-cuts scheme – officially known as the Locality Commissioning Scheme - is aimed at improving the quality of referrals rather than limiting access to secondary care.

A report published in February by medical journal Pulse revealed the cash-for-cuts scheme had been adopted by Enfield and 10 other CCGs in the UK.

It is intended to ease pressure on hospitals and other secondary care services by preventing unnecessary referrals, with GPs eligible to claim up to 50 per cent of the savings made.

But critics of the practice have claimed it could lead to a decline in patient care and have questioned whether such financial incentives have a place in the National Health Service.

Members of the Enfield Over 50s Forum quizzed medics on the borough’s use of the initiative at a meeting of the CCG’s governing body at The Dugdale Centre on Wednesday (March 21).

Deborah McBeal, director of primary care commissioning and deputy chief officer at Enfield CCG, responded: “The aim of Enfield CCG’s Locality Commissioning Scheme is not to limit access to any appropriate referral.

“The scheme is there to enable GPs to use their clinical judgment to review whether a referral to secondary care is appropriate or not.

“The scheme is based upon GPs evaluating processes within their own practice rather than attempting to restrict them from making referrals.

“Similar schemes are standard across the NHS and have been implemented by a number of clinical commissioning groups across the country and by primary care trusts in preceding years.

“The Enfield scheme has been ongoing for a number of years.”

She added that the savings generated by the scheme are reinvested in local services that directly benefit patient care.