‘Variations remain’ in local NHS spending

New research reveals that widespread variations in local NHS spending continue to exist, even after the different needs of communities are considered.

The analysis from the King’s Fund found that different primary care trusts around England spend varying amounts of money on the treatment of cancer, circulatory diseases, cancer and mental health conditions.

Across the country, spending varied 2.5 fold on cancer between the highest and lowest spending primary care trusts, 2.9 fold on mental health and 2.2 fold on circulatory diseases.

The King’s Fund warned that its figures may be insensitive to some dimensions of need by disease and area, though they do allow an insight into the different spending decisions of care trusts across England.

It added that the variations between primary care trusts have remained relatively stable since 2004-5.

Professor John Appleby, chief economist at the King’s Fund, said: “Some of the variations we have highlighted will not solely be as a result of deliberate choices by primary care trusts.”

He added that other factors will contribute to the variation in spending, such as decisions by clinicians on who to treat, when to treat them and what treatment to provide, as well as varying efficiency of hospitals.

A Department of Health spokesperson told the BBC it is up to primary care trusts to decide on their own spending priorities.