As always at this time of year, the devil is in the detail and the detail is yet to be released (guidance/business rules, etc). However, below is a summary of top level changes:
- Overall increase of £889 million across core contract & Network Contract DES (7.2% growth on funding)
- New advice & guidance DES worth up to £80 million - £20 per pre-referral request
- Aims to incentivise closer working between general practice & secondary care, supporting the governments commitment to move more care from secondary care into community settings
- Retirement of 32 QOF indicators (212 points) - 71 points invested into global sum & increased IoS fee for routine childhood vaccinations (to £12.06) & locum reimbursement rates - 141 QOF points targeted towards CVD (to reduce premature mortality) across 9 CVD prevention indicators
- Retired indicators - CAN001, CAN004, CAN005, CKD005, CHD001, HF001, HYP001, PAD001, STIA001, DAM001, DM017, EP001, DL004, DEP004, MH001, MH021, OB003, OST004, PC001, AF001, AST005, AST008, COPD014, COPD015, RA001, SMOK005, QI x 6
- CVD prevention indicators - including points & thresholds -
- Indicators with wording changes (mainly therapy clusters)
- CHOL003, CHOL004, DM022 to DM034, DM023 to DM035, DM033 to DM036, AST011 to AST012, AST007, AF008
- Childhood vaccinations (as well as increased IoS fee above)
- Additional dose of Hib (6-in-1 vaccine) offered at a new immunisation visit of 18 months
- 2nd dose of MMR brought forwards from 3 years 4 months to the new immunisation visit at 18 months
- Adult vaccinations
- Shingles vaccination programme to reflect new evidence on the effectiveness of the vaccine for a broader severely immunosuppressed cohort
- Weight Management DES - continue unchanged, £11.50 per referral
- Access to general practice - online consultation tools open for the duration of core hours
- GP Connect - enable functionality
- ARRS - increase flexibility to include GP’s and practice nurses
- Capacity & Access Improvement (CAIP) - reduce to 2 domains; supporting modern general practice & risk stratifying patients in accordance with need