GPs in Scotland and Northern Ireland earned more than 97% of the points available from last year’s Quality and Outcomes Framework with Welsh practices earning 94% of the possible points, newly published figures show.
Statistics for Scotland published today show that GP practices have matched last year’s achievement even though the clinical domains on the QoF were changed for 2006/7 with several new disease areas added. Northern Ireland practices also equaled their performance from last year with Wales recording a slight fall in average percentage points total.
Dr Dean Marshall, chairman of the British Medical Association’s Scottish General Practitioner Committee, said the figures showed that GPs can adapt to change and consistently deliver high quality care.
He added: “Doctors are committed to helping government achieve its ambition to provide more care available closer to patients’ homes but in return, GPs expect to be properly consulted on proposals for changes to the service they are delivering and for their professional skills and experience to be recognized.”
The QoF figures published by ISD Scotland show that Scotland paid out £128.3m in QoF payments in 2006/7, making an average payment per nGMS practice of £128,510 for an average points total of 970.
In Wales, the country with the highest disease prevalence and traditionally the area with the lowest average scores, the average practice earned 947 out of 1000 points, an average percentage total of 94% compared with last year’s 96%. Two thirds of practices in Wales achieved more than 950 points with 6.4% of patients excluded from the target groups because of “exception” reporting.
In Northern Ireland 363 GP practices took part in the QoF in 2006/7 and earned an average of 977.8 points, equating to 97.8% of the points available.
Figures for QoF in England are due to be published on Friday by the Information Centre.
The total number of QoF points available per practice in all four countries was reduced from 1050 to 1000 in 2006/7.
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Fiona Barr