NI practice QoF scores published
- 20 September 2005
Practice by practice results for the Quality and Outcome Framework in Northern Ireland have now been published and show GPs earned more points than doctors in England and Scotland.
Figures for Wales are also due to be published but have been delayed by technical problems.
The Department of Health , Social Services and Public Safety in Northern Ireland released its data which shows that all practices in Northern Ireland took part in the QoF last year and earned 94.2% of the 1050 maximum points available, an average of 989. The achievement is higher than the average points earned by GPs in England, where the average practice achieved 959 points and in Scotland, where the average was 971.
GPs in Northern Ireland received £27.7 million for their efforts and Shaun Woodward, Northern Ireland health minister, said that the payments were money well spent
He added: “Increasing the level of investment in GP practices can only be good news for patients, who benefit from high quality care and for GPs who have the satisfaction of seeing real improvements in their patients.”
Dr Brian Dunn, chairman of the British Medical Association’s general Practitioner Committee in Northern Ireland, also welcomed the results which he said showed that GPs can quickly adapt to new and better ways of working.
He added: “The resources bring results which benefit patients and deliver high quality NHS care”.
As EHI Primary Care went to press figures for practices in Wales were published showing the average national score per practice in Wales was 949 out of a possible 1050 points – the lowest of the four UK countries.
Dr Andrew Dearden, chairman of the BMA’s Welsh General Practitioners Committee said the results were outstanding. "It is worth remembering that GP in Wales have achieved these excellent results even though the amount of disease and the numbers of patients needing to be treated is significantly higher in Wales in most diseases compared to the rest of the UK (up to 20% higher in Wales than England). Even with higher levels of patient illness, Welsh GPs have achieved comparable levels of quality to the rest of the UK, this in spite of the fact that GPs in Wales earn significantly less, on average, than GPs in England."
More on the results from Wales will be posted in a separate report.
Links
Northern Ireland Quality and Outcome Framework results
