GPs Earn Region an Extra Pounds 30m for Health Care
AN EXTRA pounds 30m is to be invested in primary health care across Merseyside and Cheshire after doctors’ surgeries far exceeded expectations about their performance.
League tables published on the internet yesterday show the region’s GPs scored an average 963 points out of a possible 1,050, compared with the England average of 959 points (91%), under the new Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF).
The assessment is the first of its kind under the new GP contract, which for the first time offers cash incentives to practices based on their outcomes in patient care rather than the volume of work done.
Practices across England far outstripped predictions of a 730 point average score, which Government had budgeted for.
The high scores now seen mean the incentive scheme could cost the country about pounds 200m more than expected, with the national package of resources and rewards totalling around pounds 630m.
An average-sized GP practice with an average score stands to receive around pounds 74,299 extra, according to the Department of Health.
The bill wll have to be financed out of existing Primary Care Trust (PCT) budgets as the Government has not allocated any extra funding.
It will mean an extra pounds 5.5m additional investment in primary care services in Liverpool north, which scored an average 942.5points, central Liverpool (919.5) and Liverpool south (944.7).
Joanne Forrest, deputy chief executive for the three PCTs, said: "We are very pleased with the success of our practices in this first year and are continuing to work with practices to ensure we continue to see an improvement in the quality of care delivered in primary care in Liverpool.
"Everyone who works in primary care should be congratulated on their achievements this year."
Birkenhead and Wallasey PCT, which funds 43 GP surgeries, performed the best in the region with an average 1020.3 points (97.20%).
Five of its practices scored the highest possible mark in the country, of 1,050They were: the Villa Medical Centre in Prenton, Victoria Park Health Centre in Rock Ferry, Heatherlands Medical Centre in Woodchurch, Field Road Health centre in New Brighton and the Miriam Medical Centre in Birkenhead.
John South, director of primary care for Birkenhead and Wallasey PCT said: "We are very pleased. It shows our practices are performing at a very high level.
"We predicted that our GPs would exceed the predicted 750 point average 18 months ago.
"It means we have had to find an extra pounds 600,000 but we have already budgeted for that."
The framework also provides a cash incentive for practices which enable patients to see a GP within two days or another health professional within one day. Health Minister Lord Warner said: "This new system gives the NHS, for the first time ever, world-leading intelligence on chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease.
"This means that in future the NHS will be able to map populations with these debilitating conditions with pinpoint accuracy.
"As the database builds up it will allow us to focus resources and plan services appropriately to help us tackle health inequalities."
The British Medical Association (BMA) said the figures demonstrated the high standard of care being delivered to patients
How the region’s PCTs compare
A TOTAL of 8,486 practices in England were assessed including 62 in central Liverpool, 19 in Southport and Formby, and 43 in Bebington and West Wirral.
Each GP practice was scored according to the quality of services offered to patients.
Their performance was assessed on 153 separate targets, including appointment times, coronary heart disease, stroke, blood pressure, diabetes, cancer and asthma.
To search the detailed database visit: www.
ic.nhs.uk DETAILED figures for Knowsley were not available due to a clerical error at the national Health and Social Care Information Centre, which collated the statistics