NICE has given the go-ahead to two new QOF indicators that will reward GP practices for treating diabetes patients, including one incentivising statins.
The indicators – decided at NICE’s indicator advisory committee meeting today – will see QOF points awarded to practices for how many diabetes patients they treat to a target Hba1c of 58mmol/mol or less, marginally lower than the current QOF target of 59mmol/mol.
GPs will also be incentivised to give statins to patients with type 1 diabetes who are aged over 40 and have had either diabetes for more than 10 years or who have other risk factors for CVD.
But plans to introduce a new QOF indicator for a target Hba1c of 53mmol/mol were rejected, after GP members of the panel voiced their concerns that it could pose a threat to patient safety, with older people especially being at risk to over-treatment and adverse events.
It follows NICE’s latest guidance for type 2 diabetes that were published earlier this year and recommended that GPs take a more individual-based approach for targets, especially in the elderly and those with poor hypoglycaemic control.
The indicators were part of a raft of new proposed recommendations discussed at the meeting by NICE specialists as well as GP members. Their actual implementation is subject to negotiation with the profession.
