Heidi Alexander MP, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, responding to Pulse investigation finding that GPs are being offered financial incentives to limit number of suspected cancer patients referred to hospital, said:

“Patients must be confident that their GP will always act in their best interests. Financial rewards for denying patients access to care are wrong and risk damaging that trust between doctor and patient.

“Ministers must now review the impact and extent of these incentive schemes as a matter of urgency.

“The Government plans to make £22 billion worth of efficiency savings in the NHS by 2020, and this is just further evidence that savings on this scale cannot be delivered with harming patient care.” �H�Ă�