Quality In General Practice: Improving Care For Patients, Scotland

Main Category: Primary Care / General Practice
Article Date: 10 Feb 2010 - 7:00 PST

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GPs are delivering dramatic improvements to the care and treatment of patients with long term conditions, reducing hospital admissions and saving lives, according to a new briefing paper published by BMA Scotland on Monday.

The BMA Scotland briefing, The Quality and Outcomes Framework: delivering care; improving patient outcomes, considers the impact that the Quality Framework (QOF) of the 2004 general medical services contract is having on patient care.

Key findings include:

- The QOF is helping to reduce inequalities, ensuring that patients get consistent evidence based care where ever they live.

- Hospital admissions for patients with asthma have been reduced.

- The QOF is improving the management of diabetes, which when uncontrolled can lead to cardiovascular disease, blindness and kidney failure.

- Improved blood pressure monitoring and control can prevent 43,000 strokes and 83,000 cases of ischaemic heart disease across the UK.

Dr Dean Marshall, chairman of the BMA's Scottish General Practitioners Committee, said:

"GPs are working hard to save lives by targeting diseases that kill such as heart disease, cancer and kidney disease. They are also improving the quality of life of patients with illnesses such as asthma, diabetes, depression and dementia. Research has shown that improvements in managing these conditions in general practice, through the Quality and Outcomes Framework is reducing outpatient visits and hospital admissions. This is good news for our NHS.

"This report demonstrates without a doubt, the huge benefits that can be derived from investing in general practice and the positive consequences this can have on people's lives. More importantly, however, it should demonstrate to Government the importance of focusing on evidence based care that has proven clinical outcomes for patients.

"The Quality Framework is recognised internationally as a great success. If the Scottish Government wants to promote quality in the NHS, then I can think of no better place to start than by ensuring that the QOF remains central to the work of general practice."

"I am proud of Scotland's GPs and I hope that our Government recognises and appreciates the achievements of General Practice and the great strides that we are making towards improving how the NHS manages the care of patients with chronic disease."

Source
The British Medical Association

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