FAMILY doctors are receiving additional payments of up to £100 per treatment, by offering extra services to patients.

A Freedom of Information request by the Echo, has found GPs receive up to 31 of these “enhanced service” payments from NHS South East Essex Primary Care Trust, depending on what they provide.

Minor surgery carried out by a GP saves the patient going to hospital, and also saves the trust money. But it will cost them around £85 to pay a GP to carry out each procedure.

A doctor also receives around £7 for each flu jab for the over 65s, and people in “at risk” groups, or MMR vaccinations.

However, GPs in south east Essex are not paid extra for using cheaper or branded drugs, or for attending meetings.

They are reimbursed for locum doctor costs, incurred for covering clinical commitments, while GPs attend some Primary Care Trust-led educational events.

NHS South West Essex has a prescribing incentive scheme, which encourages quality and cost effective prescribing in line with national guidance, plus local guidelines. But no further details are known.

One GP, Dr Peter Glover, from the Church View Practice, in Rayleigh, explained doctors generally do not profit from the services, and the payments are used to set up the procedures, including employing nursing staff.

Dr Glover, a GP for 27 years, said: “The general principle is the money goes toward the logistics of providing a service.

“For the flu jab, we get in extra staff, fund the clinic, make arrangements to store and keep the vaccine, and need to send out invitations for the vaccine.

“I doubt any of us are making a profit out of it.

“With minor surgery, it works out cheaper if we do it, than at hospital. Some of the procedures we perform we do not get paid for, like wart removal.

“We’re all self-employed and contracted to provide core services, but we’re paid extra to meet set-up costs, as they are not cost free.

“On balance, they are a reasonable reflection of the time and expertise invested in providing additional services.”

The primary care trust says payments are set according to local and national formula, to ensure all patients have access to all appropriate services.

Ian Stidston, deputy director of commissioning and contracting at NHS South East Essex, which covers Southend, Rochford and Castle Point, said: “GP funding is dictated by national contractual regulations.

“They state that GPs are remunerated separately for essential services, and additional services.

“GPs can take advantage of additional earning opportunities, if they contribute to the expansion of the primary care sector, by developing a range of services to patients in south east Essex.”

Carolyn Larsen, associate director of primary care commissioning at NHS South West Essex, covering Basildon and Thurrock, said: “GPs are not paid salaries, they are independent organisations which contract with the NHS to provide General Medical Services.

“The core contract funds practices for providing routine general medical services.

“They are also funded for specific additional services, as this requires additional investment, in both GP and other staff time, to provide these additional services.”