‘The NHS is probing astonishing claims GPs are billing care homes for visits that should be free.
Fees paid by nursing homes are intended to cover so-called ‘enhanced’ services.
But there are concerns some family doctors are demanding the payments for nothing more than basic NHS care. A Labour peer said if evidence of fraud was discovered it would be a police matter.
It is believed some homes are passing the cost of GPs on to elderly residents, increasing the chance they will have to sell their property. Around one in ten nursing homes have paid a doctor for a visit, according to a survey by the Care Quality Commission.
It was reported last month that in one case a GP requested an extra £24,000 a year to cover services for 72 elderly residents.’
Read more: Now GPs charge to visit care homes: NHS probes astonishing claims doctors are billing for services that should be free
