Abstract
Aim: To investigate the magnitude of revenue lost by the Department of Trauma and Orthopaedics at Ports-mouth Hospitals NHS Trust in 2007 as a result of providing outpatient viscosupplementation joint injections.
Methods: Data was collated on all outpatient intra-articular hyaluronic acid viscosupplementation performed by our department in 2007. Information on existing HRG tariffs for orthopaedic outpatient attendances as well as clinical coding of joint injections by our department was also gathered.
Results: The 2007/2008 tariffs for orthopaedic outpatient first and follow-up appointments were £147 and £73 respectively for adults, and £157 and £85 respectively for children (under 17 years of age). No additional mandatory tariff currently exists for joint injections performed in the outpatient setting. During our study period, the cost of a dose of viscosuplementation (Hyaluronic acid 60mg/ 3 ml) varied between £213 and £248. A total of 812 doses of viscosupplementation were administered to outpatients by our department resulting in pharmaceutical costs of £175,126. Only 751 cases of outpatient appointment with joint injection (all types) were recorded and coded by the department.
Conclusions:
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As long as no mandatory DoH tariff exists for out-patient joint injections, outpatient viscosupplementation remains an expensive service for trusts to provide and may warrant rationalisation.
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Under Payment by Results it is imperative that the quality of data capture and clinical coding improve, if trusts are to maximise financial gains.
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Clinicians need to be made more aware of the processes and implications of Payment by Results.
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In order for trusts to receive fair remuneration it is essential that reasonable national tariffs be set for all types of procedure or service delivered.
Correspondence should be addressed to: BASK c/o BOA, at the Royal College of Surgeons, 35–43 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3PE, England.
