In recent years there have been marked changes in organisational structures and budgetary arrangements in the English NHS, potentially altering the relationships between purchasers (primary care organisations (PCOs) and general practices) and providers. Using data on elective hospital admissions...

In this paper we investigate the relationship between patients’ primary care costs (consultations, tests, drugs) and their age, gender, deprivation and alternative measures of their morbidity and multimorbidity. Such information is required in order to set capitation fees or budgets for...

Despite its potentially profound repercussions, the general practitioner fundholding scheme has received relatively little attention from researchers. We provide here a theoretical foundation for empirical studies of fundholding. We begin by reviewing the incentives of the fundholding scheme....