Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine
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In England, patients can choose to have their NHS elective care delivered by private (or 'independent sector') providers or by the NHS. Providers are paid a fixed tariff for each type of procedure. Our objectives were to compare NHS providers with private treatment centres in terms of (a) the quality of data coding and (b) patient complexity. ⋯ Some private companies provide poor quality data. In general, the NHS is treating more complex patients than private providers. If complexity drives costs, then a fair reimbursement system would require higher payments for NHS providers.