The potential for payment reform to influence emergency admissions::the case of blended payment in the English NHS.

This paper constitutes the second output of the ESHCRU2 project 3.1 Analysis of purchaser provider contracts: modelling risk sharing and incentive implications. In this project, we have focused on the implications of payment reform of blended payment for emergency care. Building on the new theoretical model this paper, this paper is an empirical investigation of hospitals' propensities to admit patients who attend their Accident and Emergency Departments. It provides a basis for considering the potential impact of the blended payment reform on emergency admissions.