GPs in England to see part of QOF income protected from April

GPs in England will see part of the QOF income-protected from 1 April, including a number of indicators on mental health, asthma, smoking and cancer.

Setting out the 2024/25 GP contract changes this afternoon, NHS England said practices will be awarded QOF points based on their performance in previous years for the income-protected indicators.

In all, 32 indicators out of the total 76 QOF indicators will be income protected in 2024/25, equating to 42% of all indicators or 212 of 635 points that can be earned through the scheme.

NHS England said the move comes ‘in response to feedback from the profession to streamline QOF and reduce bureaucracy’.

A ‘clinical and technical reference group’, chaired by NHS England, has selected the indicators that will be income protected based on ‘carrying a lower risk of deteriorating patient outcomes from income protection’.

Clinical areas which will see some indicators income protected are mental health, depression, asthma, COPD, smoking and cancer (see box).

The 19 register indicators, which cover a range of conditions and were also income protected during this financial year, are all included within the 32 indicators.

All six quality improvement (QI) indicators will also be income protected.

In addition, NHS England said it will increase QOF aspiration payments from 70% to 80% in 2024/25 ‘to support practice cash flow’.

It also confirmed that it will amend the secondary prevention CVD indicator in order to end a current discrepancy whereby the QOF target for reducing cholesterol levels was more stringent than new NICE guidance.

The amendments come as the consultation on the role of incentives schemes in general practice remains open until 7 March.

The BMA’s GP Committee for England, which has not agreed to the terms, has told Pulse it considers NHS England’s contract announcement an imposition.

NHS England said it ‘will now begin the process of implementing the 2024/25 contract changes with
detailed guidance and further information to be published in the coming weeks’.