GP practices 'offered rewards' for not referring patients to hospitals

Doctors who do this are playing with patients lives and should be struck off, i agree there are some patients will fake an illness just to go to hospital.

I understand the idea is to get things that can be done at the surgery or in the community done without referring to hospital, to ease the pressure on hospitals - problem is, wherever there is a financial incentive, someone is likely to abuse the system to gain the reward.  We already feel my husband's surgery is financially motivated rather than motivated by a desire to give good patient care, so a scheme like this is very concerning. 

One would hope doctors will be ethical over this, but they are human and I dare say not all will be - look at Dr Harold Shipman!