Further delays to the specialist tariff under payment by results could jeopardise applications for foundation trust status, according to managers.

Chief executive of the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital Andrew Woodhead told HSJ the Department of Health 's announcement last week to delay the publication of a list of providers eligible for specialist top-up funding next year, will risk the trust's foundation trust application and could leave a£1m hole in its finances.

Last week the DoH's director general of NHS finance, performance and operation David Flory published a letter on PbR road-testing for 2008/09 in which he said the government had been forced to delay publishing the list of eligible providers because 'further work is needed to ensure national consistency in the approach taken'.

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