NICE Invites Stakeholders To Comment On 2011/12 Quality Outcomes Framework

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 16 Mar 2010 - 0:00 PDT


The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has opened its consultation on potential new indicators for inclusion in the 2011/12 Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF). Stakeholders are invited to email their comments on a set of potential indicators via the NICE website (http://www.nice.org.uk). Anyone with an interest in health, including health professionals, patients, community groups and voluntary organisations, is encouraged to take part in the consultation.

Following recommendations from the June 2009 QOF Advisory Committee meeting, a series of potential new 2011/12 QOF indicators have been developed and subsequently piloted across a number of general practices. Stakeholders are now asked to comment on these indicators identifying any challenges to implementation, possible unintended consequences and impact on health inequalities.

The consultation is open from Monday 15 March until Sunday 11 April. Comments received during the consultation will be considered by the QOF Advisory Committee in June along with the results of the pilot which saw the testing of potential new indicators including those relating to mental health, diabetes and palliative care. Once the consultation closes, the QOF team will analyse the anonymised feedback before presenting the results to the Committee who will then recommend which indicators should be considered for inclusion in the QOF.

In August, NICE will publish a menu of recommended indicators for the 2011/12 QOF together with indicators to be considered for retirement. The selection of the final indicators for inclusion within the QOF will be decided by NHS Employers, on behalf of the Health Departments and the General Practitioners Committee (GPC) on behalf of the British Medical Association (BMA). The final QOF indicators are published annually by NHS Employers (NHSE).

Andrew Dillon, NICE Chief Executive, said: "Our consultation on potential new indicators is an integral part of NICE's process for QOF. It provides the opportunity for anyone to contribute to the development of indicators for the 2011/12 Quality Outcomes Framework. We value this input highly and any feedback will help the QOF Advisory Committee decide which indicators will be put forward for publication. The final menu of indicators, to be published on the NICE website in August, will support healthcare professionals in delivering outcomes for patients that are among the best in the world."

Source
NICE

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