News / Audit Commission calls for improvement on PBR data

The quality of the data that underpins payment by results has improved, but many trusts struggle to achieve accuracy, according to the Audit Commission.

In its annual assurance report on the data used in payment by results (PBR) in 2011/12, the commission said there had been a gradual improvement in clinical coding since the introduction of PBR.

Error rates had fallen each year and there was now a narrower range of errors.

However, Right data, right payment said many trusts struggled to achieve good levels of accuracy consistently, while some had consistently performed poorly.

The commission audited 29 trusts in 2010/11 because they had performed consistently poorly – six have improved performance and are now in the best performing category, but 10 are still in the worst performing category.

Commission managing director of health Andy McKeon said despite the improvements, there was room for greater accuracy. ‘Commissioners need to be more robust in seeking assurances on the quality of the data and the steps being taken to improve it,’ he said.

The commission assurance programme will continue in 2012/13 and will be carried out by Capita on its behalf.