News / Providers reduce HRG error rate

Trusts are reducing the proportion of healthcare resource groups (HRGs) assigned incorrectly, according to the Audit Commission.

An update of its payment by results data assurance framework said more than eight out of 10 trusts audited in 2010/11 had improved the error rates in inpatient and outpatient activity. Audits were targeted at 30 acute trusts where performance had been consistently poor over the life of the assurance framework.

The emerging picture was of big improvement. Inpatient audits showed 87% of the trusts audited had fewer errors than in 2009/10 – the most improved trust reduced errors by 21%.

In 2009/10, most trusts had error rates of more than 10% and several above 20%. But in 2010/11 most HRG error rates were below 10% and no provider had incorrectly derived more than 20% of their HRGs.

There was a similar picture in outpatient activity, with 83% of trusts showing a reduction in the number of attendances with errors affecting payment compared with the previous year. The most improved trust reduced its error rate by 34%.

In 2009/10, most trusts had error rates affecting payment in more than 10% of outpatient visits. But in 2010/11 this was reduced to less than 10% in most cases.