Community nurse teams could compete with GPs.

Community nursing teams could compete with practices for enhanced services following a change in the way they are funded, doctors have warned.

The DoH expects all in-house PCT providers to be in a contractual relationship with commissioners by April, with a view to becoming legally separated.

The standard community services contract will link community teams' funding to their quality of service. But this will incentivise them, rather than practices, to provide services such as flu vaccines.

'PCTs may start asking why they're paying that particular practice when so much of the work is being done by another provider,' said NHS Alliance vice chairman …