QOF Plus Year 1 - Imperial College London

ForewordQOF Plus has high ambition - to deliver world class healthcare. It focuses on helping peoplelive healthier and longer lives, and above all aims to dramatically reduce health inequalities.To achieve this vision of better care for all QOF Plus builds on existing systems for quality in primary careand uses the best international evidence to extend these. We know that improving quality is not easy. Yetwe also know that it is possible when priorities and the approach to change are right. With QOF Plus wehave focused on what matters and makes a difference for both patients and clinicians. We have built intothe implementation the best evidence on support for quality improvement. In particular, we want toensure that individual practices and clinicians are enabled in transforming their clinical practice to make itof consistently high quality.This publication is accompanied by a support resource pack, guidance on business and financial rules,EMIS and Vision templates for health monitoring, details of a series of training events, visits andworkshops. Most importantly, QOF Plus is supported by a committed clinical, academic and managementteam which aims to provide a range of multimodal supportive strategies to address, in real time, areas ofchallenge. This is the most significant investment into quality improvement in primary care since theintroduction of QOF.This innovative scheme, developed jointly with experts in our local Department of Primary Care and SocialMedicine at Imperial College, combines a strong evidence-based approach with meaningful engagementand consultation with local practices and stakeholders. QOF Plus has been designed in line with nationalguidance and addresses a range of important national and local health service priorities. It builds on theanalysis of the public health needs of Hammersmith and Fulham, and on what local people have told usthey want.Advice offered by national and international experts in health care quality improvement has played asignificant role in helping determine the vision and implementation strategy for QOF Plus, ensuring thatwe learn from past experience in the field. The key individuals involved in designing and developing QOFPlus believe passionately in – and are fully committed to – the principles embodied by the scheme,namely achieving excellence in healthcare for all people and reducing health inequalities; ensuring thehealthcare needs of those most vulnerable are addressed. This team is championing the scheme and will,in partnership with patients and colleagues in primary care, work to make it a success.I am sincerely grateful to all that have contributed to this important project that brings new dynamism toprimary care embodying some of the key principles of Lord Darzi’s Next Stage Review. I believe QOF Pluswill make a real difference to the people of Hammersmith and Fulham. I also hope that this work willmake a valuable contribution to the current national debate about the future direction of QOF, and serveas a model for other PCTs wishing to initiate similar schemes.Sarah WhitingCEO, NHS Hammersmith and Fulham, December 2008