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Quality and Productivity Indicators

There are a total of 96.5 points (£12,594.22 for an average sized practice) available for these new areas. Working closely with your PCO or Medicines Management team seems to be the way forward here to ensure achievement.

As these new indicators arrived on the scene without much prior knowledge, it was necessary for the guidance to be expanded to answer the many questions posed. FAQs were published along with the latest guidance from BMA/NHS Employers (Download "QP Supplementary Guidance and FAQs" here). We used these as part of our National programme of QoF Workshops, and from feedback from our delegates we have recreated the most useful ones here:

What happens if a practice has good prescribing levels across the board and it is difficult to identify areas for improvement?

In such circumstances, the PCT and practice may agree to choose three areas of prescribing where the practice will maintain a standard (i.e. the practice continues to achieve above the upper threshold). This would need to be clearly set out in the plans agreed with the peer group and PCT.

For the purposes of achievement, the PCT and practice will need to be mindful that the maximum number of points is achieved by a practice matching the performance of the upper threshold, rather than improving on their previous performance.

Do practices within a peer review group have to review the same three areas?

No, practices in the peer review group do not have to consider the same three areas. However, practices may choose to select the same three areas to focus on as it would allow the peer review group and/or the PCT to provide the necessary focused support to achieve the goals.

If practices do choose to focus on the same three areas, then they need to ensure the areas selected offer the greatest opportunity for improved clinical effectiveness or productivity savings.

As these indicators are restricted to the measurement of prescription items, how can inappropriate prescribing lengths be addressed?

It is expected that practices will use appropriate prescribing lengths relevant to the individual patient.

Do the care pathways for QP6 to QP11 have to be newly developed or can they be ones that are currently in development at the time the indicators were published?

The QOF guidance/SFE is clear that the pathways to be developed should be new. However, where a pathway is still in the development stages and allows the opportunity for practices to engage in development, then subject to agreement between the PCT and practice, this would be acceptable.