National Tariffs for Genetics

 
 
 

How is Pricing determined?

In England the Payment by Results system for funding NHS healthcare is based on tariffs that are nationally set with NHS Trust Market Forces Factor applied separately. The Department of Health Payment by Results team calculate national tariffs based on data collected from NHS Trusts.

The activity within a hospital has to be coded in order for the collection of data to be standardised. The organisation responsible for coding activity in the NHS is the Health and Social Care Information Centre. National tariffs have not currently been calculated for all NHS services including genetics. Therefore where national tariffs do not apply local prices are used. Different systems of funding apply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

UKGTN National Tariff Exercise

The UKGTN was asked to carry out a piece of work to determine a methodology to derive tariffs for molecular genetic testing in order to inform the Department of Health Payment by Results team. The exercise was completed in 2006.

The report details the methodologies used to calculate testing tariffs and the data collected from the laboratories that took part in the exercise. Tests were categorised into simple, medium and complex and tariffs calculated for each category based on expenditure and activity in the baseline year 2004/05. From this initial work the report recommends that two further test categories should be included, 1) very simple and 2) highly complex.

An informal consultation with UKGTN membership was conducted in 2007. All those that responded felt it was important that UKGTN continues to be involved in developing national tariffs for genetics and in working collaboratively to develop a consistent model of commissioning. The UKGTN continues to work with the NSCG, the HSCIC and the Department of Health in the development of genetic national tariffs.

Download the report…

Last updated 09-Jan-2009 14:43:34