Over 5,000 GP practices now ready for QMAS

The Department of Health have announced that over 5,000 out of the 9,000 GP practices in England are now able to use the Quality Management and Analysis System (QMAS), the web-based feedback system that automatically uploads practice activity data for GPs to be paid and monitored under the new General Medical Services contract.

QMAS was piloted and introduced last month, but after April 2005, GPs will be contractually obliged to use the system. If the software they are using is not compatible - or, indeed, if they are still using a legacy system – they will need to manually input the data on the QMAS website. 

A spokesperson for the national programme told E-Health Insider that software houses have now started sending out upgrades to GP practices with systems that are certified but not yet operational. 

Health minister John Hutton, in a formal statement today about the introduction of QMAS, welcomed its introduction, calling it "an excellent example of how investment in IT is helping doctors to deliver better patient care" because "the system facilitates payments based on the quality of care given by GPs."

Richard Granger, director general of NHS IT, said of QMAS: "The National Programme has delivered a key component to support the underpinning principles of the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF)."

"We would like to thank all the GP clinical system suppliers, including EMIS, Healthysoftware, In Practice Systems, Microtest, The Phoenix Partnership, SEETEC, Torex (now iSoft), UCL Chime, Exeter Protechnic and The Computer Room, who have gone through a stringent National Programme testing process to gain GMS Certification."

Dr Paul Cundy, chairman of the BMA's GPC IT committee, said: "This is excellent news and will be welcomed by GPs. As a result of close working between the NPfIT and the GPC, a vital part of the IT that underpins the new contract for GMS is now in place."

Under the QOF in the new contracts, which were introduced this April, GPs will be required to submit data and feedback about their processes. This will usually be done automatically every month by the GP software over a secure connection, but non-clinical data will need to be uploaded manually over a web form. Up to 30% of income and reimbursement to GP practices will come from analysis of this data.

The first GP clinical software suite to be fully certified for use with QMAS under the GMS contract was HealthyGP, by HealthySoft, swiftly followed by EMIS's products. According to the DH, the only two remaining systems undergoing approval are Visual Phenix and Ganymede; however, iSoft have assured E-Health Insider that their systems have been approved. The NHSIA list the following software houses as having all their systems successfully accredited: