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As part of its role overseeing the annual process of reviewing the clinical indicators included in the quality and outcomes framework (QOF), NICE has established the independent Primary Care Quality and Outcomes Framework Indicator Advisory Committee. The 29 members of this multidisciplinary group have been drawn from the four constituent countries of the UK, and encompass a range of expertise from across primary care.

Dr Colin Hunter chaired the first two Advisory Committee meetings during June 2009: the first was an introductory meeting; and in the second, the group began the process of prioritising new topics for indicator development, and considering those indicators that should be retained, adapted, or retired from the current QOF.

The QOF indicators review process
A guide setting out the interim process for developing QOF indicators has been developed by NICE and is available on its website: www.nice.org.uk/aboutnice/qof/qof.jsp. This guide details the steps that will be taken, and these are summarised below:

• The Advisory Committee will recommend clinical and public health indicators to the consortium (which was commissioned by NICE, and comprises the National Primary Care Research and Development Centre, York Health Economics Consortium, and the Royal College of General Practitioners)
• The consortium will then develop these indicators, and pilot them in a representative cross section of UK practices to assess a number of issues including feasibility and validity
• Draft recommendations will be made by the consortium on thresholds, continued incentivisation, and evidence base
• After the pilot, potential new indicators will be subject to consultation with all stakeholders, including patients and professional groups—all comments will be considered by the Advisory Committee as part of the approval process
• The Advisory Committee will then recommend which indicators should be put forward for negotiation between NHS Employees (on behalf of the Department of Health) and the General Practitioners Committee of the BMA—these two groups will have the final decision on which indicators are incorporated into the final framework.

The consultation period is anticipated to start later this summer and interested parties will be able to submit potential clinical and public health topics through the NICE website.

Keeping up to date
At Guidelines in Practice, we aim to help GPs and primary care organisations keep up to date with any changes to the QOF. Our GMS contract article series continues this month with Dr Kathryn Griffith explaining the changes to the 2009/10 QOF indicators for CKD. We will also be holding further QOF Implementation Days, and you can register your interest for these meetings at: www.eguidelines.co.uk/QOF/

Julia Morris, Editor
julia.morris@mgp.ltd.ukG