Third of health authorities 'still imposing blanket treatment bans' Some PCTs were not imposing blanket bans as such, but making it more and more difficult for patients to qualify for treatment, for example by raising the threshold of pain and immobility needed to qualify for a joint replacement. One wrote the PCT was "not imposing a blanket ban, but it is made increasingly difficult in terms of the hoops you have to jump through to obtain funding, even to get a patient seen for an ever growing list of conditions." Some feel Mr Lansley had it both on the issue - restricting funding and then blaming PCTs who had to reduce their spending. One respondent said Mr Lansley had been "asking the impossible, with GP commissioners being the fall guys." Dr Richard Vautrey, deputy chairman of the British Medical Association's GP committee, called on Jeremy Hunt, Andrew Lansley's replacement to sort out the problem. He told GP: "'The Department of Health has repeatedly said it would prevent PCTs and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) from rationing treatments on cost alone. "They are clearly not doing that and need to start putting words into action," he said. This will be a big challenge for the new health secretary, and one he needs to address quickly. According to the poll, GPs seem to be strongly in favour of an England-wide list of services it will not fund, to eliminate the current postcode lottery. A Department of Health spokesman reiterated the former health secretary's position. "If patients need treatment, they should get it when they want it and where they want it," she said. If local health bodies stop patients from having treatments on the basis of cost alone, we will take action against them.