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The NHS Confederation has launched a stinging attack on the government's method of measuring health productivity, saying it rewards admissions to hospital rather than quality of care.

In a report issued last week, the confederation said the Office of National Statistics measure - which divides NHS outputs, such as hospital admissions, by inputs, such as staff - created perverse incentives for the service.

The study claimed the method rewarded hospital admissions rather than community measures to help people with long-term conditions stay out of hospital, one of the chief aims of the health and social care white paper. The confederation called for measures to be based on patient experience and outcomes.