This report summarises the results of the PbR data assurance programme since it began in 2007. For the last three years, the Audit Commission has looked at over £200 million worth of payments for inpatient treatments.
The report finds that the accuracy of clinical coding has improved since 2007. The coding error rate has dropped from 16 per cent to 11 per cent in three years, which shows that NHS organisations have made real progress in tackling the quality of their data.
But there remains wide variation between the best and worst performing trusts, even if the gap is narrowing.
Errors are continuing to affect payments. We estimate that of the £21 billion spent on the four specialties we’ve audited for three years, £1 billion (5 per cent) was paid wrongly.
To continue to improve data quality, the report makes a series of recommendations for primary care trusts and NHS trusts to consider.
A summary of the report is available to download and examples of good practice have been published to assist trusts. Comparative profiles are also available for strategic health authorities, primary care trusts and acute trusts. These allow organisations to compare their clinical coding performance against others.
By including reviews of all 2009/10 reference cost data in the PbR assurance programme for 2010/11, we intend to work with the NHS to further improve the accuracy of costing information. More information on the future programme is available.