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GPs GET EXTRA Pounds 200M FOR TOP QUALITY CARE

Posted on: Wednesday, 31 August 2005, 18:01 CDT

MINISTERS have been forced to pay GPs an extra Pounds 200million because of a new ranking scheme linked to bonuses.

The first such scheme for GPs, published today, shows that on average doctors scored much higher than health chiefs had expected.

GP practices are now marked with a points system against a list of patient services and for

the first time, those offering the best care will be paid more.

Until now the amount paid to GPs was based on the number of patients on their books; it did not reflect how ill the patients were, or the quality of care they received. Ministers hailed the

points available, the average nationally was 959 - translating to an extra Pounds 74,299 per practice.

In London, Harrow had the highest average score with 987 and Camden had the lowest average with 860. The system, known as the Quality and Outcomes Framework, is part of the new GP them to hospital and to ensure equal access across the country.

It also allows experts to check that seriously ill patients are getting the treatment they need. For example, it shows that nine out of 10 coronary heart disease patients have been given aspirin or other drugs to help thin the blood, reducing the risk of a heart attack.

The scorecards show that 11 per cent of the population in England has high blood pressure almost six million people.

More than three million have asthma, almost six per cent of the population.

Health Minister Lord Warner said patients with long-term conditions such as diabetes and heart disease will benefit most. "As the database builds up it will allow us to focus resources and plan services appropriately to help us tackle health inequalities," he added.

"That means good news for NHS patients and good value for money for taxpayers. The high scores show that the new GP contract is proving successful in giving practices a real incentive to improve the quality of care and to provide a wide range of services locally."

Dr Hamish Meldrum, chairman of the British Medical Association's general practitioners committee, said the high scores show that investment in primary care is paying off. But he warned that not all aspects of GP work are covered by the

scheme, adding: "A lower score does not necessarily mean that the practice is a lower quality one.

"A higher number of patients with certain types of disease could make the quality points more difficult to achieve.

A shortage of doctors or nurses in a practice with unfilled vacancies could have the same effect."

Dr Gill Morgan, chief executive of the NHS Confederation - which represents NHS organisations - said the scheme offers a win-win" situation, "as the health of the public will improve as GPs increase the points they achieve. Many Primary Care Trusts [which oversee GPs] will, however, face short-term financial challenges because they will be paying more than expected to GPs.

"But in the medium to long term, the improvements in health will reduce NHS costs as health problems are identified earlier and managed effectively."

The practices are scored against a list of 146 core areas including treatment of coronary heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, epilepsy, cancer, mental health problems and asthma.

Marks are also given for records, health screening, child health surveillance, maternity services, and contraceptive services.

. Check your local surgery's score on the internet at www.ic.nhs.uk HOW THE PRIMARY CARE TRUSTS PERFORMED Barnet 77 955.6 91.0% Camden 46 860.8 82.0% Enfield 62 884.5 84.2% Haringey 59 940.3 89.6% Islington 44 924.6 88.1% Barking Dagenham 42 862.2 82.1% City and Hackney Primary Care Team 52 894.5 85.2% Havering 52 912.9 86.9% Newham Primary Care Team 68 943.9 89.9% Redbridge 51 925.3 88.1% Tower Hamlets Primary Care Team 42 891.8 84.9% Waltham Forest 60 940.1 89.5% Brent 72 945.8 90.1% Ealing 82 969.7 92.3% Hammersmith Fulham 33 961.3 91.6% Harrow 39 987.4 94.0% Hillingdon 53 985.1 93.8% Hounslow 60 972.9 92.7% Kensington and Chelsea 43 959.6 91.4% Westminster 52 920.3 87.7% Bexley Care Trust 35 982.1 93.5% Bromley 53 996.5 94.9% Greenwich 47 868.6 82.7% Lambeth 53 913.8 87.0% Lewisham 51 906.8 86.4% Southwark 48 904.8 86.2% Croydon 66 944.3 89.9% Kingston 29 957.4 91.2% Richmond Twickenham 31 980.3 93.4% Sutton Merton 56 979.1 93.2%

Wandsworth 50 931.9 88.8% Percentage per practice Av pts per practice out of 1,050 Number of practices in trust

Source: Evening Standard; London (UK)

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