We recommend that the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) should be retained in England.
The Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) provides financial incentives to GP practices for the provision of quality clinical care. It has driven significant improvements for diabetes, both in terms of treatment and data collection.
The future of QOF in England is currently under review. We’ve written this position statement (PDF 140 KB) to explain what the evidence tells us about the association between the introduction of QOF and improvements in measures of diabetes care, and conversely, how the removal of QOF indicators carries a high level of risk that there will be a corresponding decline in measures of diabetes care.
We also emphasise the need for the Quality and Outcomes Framework in England to reflect the changing nature of primary care and the population of people with diabetes. We have made recommendations about what should be considered when developing a reformed QOF, in order to support more person-centred care and to avoid perverse incentives. If QOF is withdrawn and replaced, the alternative must sustain quality improvements in diabetes care and continue to support data collection.
This position statement concerns the situation in England only.
