What changes are likely for the national payment system?
NHS England and NHS Improvement have set out proposed changes to the national tariff payment system for 2019/20.
The proposals relate to the:
- duration of the tariff
- payment approach for emergency care
- market forces factor (MFF)
- maternity payment pathway
One of the proposed changes is an update to the MFF, which estimates the cost differences between healthcare providers based on geographical location.
The MFF has not been updated for almost 10 years and is currently based on primary care trust boundaries, which no longer exist. But the underlying data used to calculate the MFF has changed since it was last reviewed.
There is an online survey for feedback on the proposals and a separate survey on the proposed changes to the MFF. The deadline for feedback is 29 October.
Further information
NHS Improvement: 2019/20 payment reform proposals