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GPC agrees to increase QOF points for dementia care planning

There will be an increase to the number of points for dementia care planning in next year’s QOF after GPC and NHS Employers agreed to retire indicators relating to CKD and coronary heart disease.

The changes, which GPC and NHS Employers describe as ‘minor’, will see the size of QOF remain unchanged, and will also involve changes to AF indicators.

The announcement follows the recent contract agreement. The changes to QOF include:

• The amendment of atrial fibrillation indicators as recommended by NICE with additional points to reflect the workload involved.

• An increase to the number of points for dementia care planning and annual reviews.  This is in response to a growing number of patients with dementia.

• Funding of the above, is through the redistribution of 36 points and the retirement of a number of indicators (Chronic Kidney Disease and Coronary Heart Disease). Practices will continue to treat these patients as clinically appropriate.

• QOF overall will remain at 559 points.

Dr Richard Vautrey, deputy chair of the GPC and its lead on QoF, said: ‘It is important that general practice plays its part in meeting the needs of the growing number of individuals suffering from dementia as well as supporting their carers, particularly as dementia is expected to affect a million patients by 2021.

‘These important clinically appropriate changes to QoF recognise the rising practice workload involved in ensuring that patients with dementia get the best possible care. In addition, changes to the treatment of atrial fibrillation will help to reduce the risk of strokes and ultimately save lives. The reforms to the chronic kidney disease domain will reduce the focus on box-ticking and free up GPs to treat these patients according to their clinical need.’