title: Cross-charging. Rocking the boat.
abstract: The government's proposals for cross-charging could hamper the development of effective partnerships between the NHS and social services. It is regrettable that the system is being developed at a time when primary care trusts have not had a chance to influence the whole commissioning process. The problem of delayed discharges needs to be tackled from a broad approach that includes access to GP services and inappropriate use of accident and emergency departments. Reimbursements from the charging system should be given to PCTs, which then have greater influence in integrating health and social care.
authors.affiliation: Barking and Dagenham Primary Care Trust.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ross
mesh_terms: D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D005249:Fees and Charges; D010351:Patient Discharge; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012051:Reimbursement Mechanisms; D012947:Social Work / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013222:State Medicine / Q000191:economics; D006113:United Kingdom