Easy way to 100% QOF scores, report claims

By Christian Duffin

A private firm is claiming GPs can score maximum QOF points while doing less work, after identifying a series of tips for 100% scores.

The analysis by Williams Medical Supplies, which provides medical products to primary care services, comes after the company commissioned an investigation into 2008/9 QOF point scores to spot opportunities to improve.

The report advises GPs to focus on areas they may have previously ignored and adopt better time management processes, for example by carrying out diabetes screening and other clinical processes at the same time as neuropathy and microalbuminuria testing.

Another suggestion included in the report is for GPs to support PCT retinal screening services. This is not currently being done by some GPs, according to the report, partly because screening services are only gradually being established, but also because a large number of patients have been declining retinal screening, believing that their optician has everything covered.

Steve Dunn, chief executive of Williams Medical Supplies, said: 'GPs are needlessly missing out on QOF points and some are significantly underachieving. We're not saying GPs are underperforming - they are working hard - but we believe that with our help and support they can achieve more in the same time.'

The report also highlights room for improvement in neuropathy testing, where a quarter of practices achieved less than full QOF points, and diabetes foot checks, which are currently only recorded by three quarters of practices.

Specialist diabetes nurse Henrietta Mulnier of Surrey PCT said: ‘Pedal pulses are something that any nurse would have been trained to detect and report as a student nurse. With additional training in the use of a monofilament, these could be QOF targets easily achieved at annual review by the practice nurse.'

To read the full report summary from Williams Medical Services, please click here.