Perhaps surprisingly, GPs have for years received cash supplements for the disposal of trade waste as part of their contracts with PCTs.

Their enjoyment of this welcome uplift in funding, which was always considered discretionary, will come to an end. Pulse reports that GPs now face rising expenses after NHS managers said they would not reimburse practices for expenses incurred for the disposal of trade waste.

Derbyshire PCT has stopped reimbursing practices for trade waste, in a move that GP leaders fear will be repeated across the country. The PCT sent a letter to Derbyshire LMC to inform them they were to stop the discretionary payments, which they have reimbursed since 2004.

GP practices are still reimbursed for some premises costs. Details of these costs are set out in the NHS Premises Costs Directions, published in 2004. Those directions apply to PCTs and include arrangements to reimburse GPs for clinical waste, but not trade waste costs.

Thus, as GPs receive, and will continue to receive, funding top-ups for clinical waste disposal, the expectation is for a substantial increase in general trade waste items in clinical waste containers.