DH seeks views on replacement for QMAS

The Department of Health is considering replacing the Quality, Management and Analysis System used for calculating Quality and Outcomes Framework payments.

The DH and NHS Connecting for Health said they want a more flexible calculating and reporting system, which would collect information on more GP payments.

QMAS is widely recognised as one of CfH’s success stories. But the two bodies said they wanted to extend the payment system beyond QoF and have launched a consultation to collect stakeholders’ views.

The DH and CfH also want a replacement for QoF to collect information on quality indicators recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence that are not negotiated into the national QoF, most directed enhanced services, and local enhanced services that work in the same way as the other payments supported by the new system.

The consultation aims to collect the views of frontline staff such as practising GPs, practice managers and primary care trust staff and is encouraging as many stakeholders as possible to complete an online survey on the proposals for change.

The survey covers questions on current satisfaction with QMAS and asks users to describe how useful they would find a new system and what specific areas of QMAS they would like to see improved as well as asking about the amount of time currently spent collecting and collating information on the QoF and enhanced services.

The consultation runs until 9 November and CfH and the DH said the results would be reviewed by representative groups such as the BMA’s General Practitioner Committee and the Royal College of GPs.

It said responses to the survey would be published shortly after the consultation closes followed by a formal response later.