NAVIGATOR UNCOVERS WORRYING TRENDS IN GP PRACTICES IN THE DELIVERY OF THEIR NEW GENERAL MEDICAL SERVICES CONTRACT

In 2004-5, some 40% of GP practice funding will be based on quality points earned from the new General Medical Services Contract (nGMC) that came into force on 1 April 2004. As GP practices throughout Britain grapple with the nGMC, one company has already been successfully helping doctors and practice managers to fulfil their contract and maximise their potential income from quality points.

Navigator Group, a UK market leader in quality assurance and compliance services helps practice managers to master the "Quality of Outcomes Framework" (QOF) to ensure compliance with this new regime, to improve service delivery - and boost doctors' income.

GP practices will be able to claim a maximum of 1,050 points. Every point successfully claimed by a GP practice is worth on average £75 in 2004/05 - increasing to £120 next year.

Navigator project manager Chris Ludlow said: "Many practice managers are finding that meeting the demands of QOF are laborious and time-consuming, while the volume of explanatory paperwork is daunting and confusing. Navigator has been working flat out to help clear away the fog of confusion that surrounds these complex issues. We've been able to help surgeries make sense of the new regime, overcome hurdles to compliance and enhance their ability to acquire additional funding for this year and for the years ahead".

In carrying out this work for GPs, Navigator has uncovered the following sorts of problems:

The West End London practice that couldn't determine the points it qualified for. This practice could not decide which points they could aspire to and those that they couldn't. This was because they didn't understand the meaning of the personnel management aspects of the "organisational domain" criteria. They were also worried that where they did understand the phraseology and felt that they complied, it would be difficult to justify to their PCT, having fallen foul of previous targets set. Navigator clarified the meaning of the organisational domain phraseology, identified their strengths and weaknesses within this domain, approached the PCT on their behalf and secured an extra 315 points.

•      The surgery in East London that couldn't complete their return on time. This well established practice did not have a dedicated practice manager and consequently all arrangements for nGMC fell upon the shoulders of the senior partner. He had no time to spare to understand the workings of the PCT's "aspiration utility forecast tool" and therefore could not interpret his practice's current status in relation to QOF - and so could not claim any points. Navigator rapidly analysed the practice, explained which points could be claimed and got the claim in on time. Without this help the deadline would have been missed with the consequent financial implication.

•      The surgery in Kent that thought they were on top of the game. The practice was convinced that it was virtually 100% compliant with the QOF. Dismay followed however when their arrangements were reviewed in the light of Navigator's detailed analysis, which uncovered significant shortfalls in practice management. Alerted to this fact, the practice was able to take remedial action to offset the embarrassment that would have followed had the PCT discovered this discrepancy.

Chris Ludlow added: "Our Quality Assurance professionals have been working with GPs to .undertake an analysis of existing quality standards and produce a Practice Development Plan which identifies the points that can be applied for and, most importantly, how to ensure that they are actually achieved. We are helping GP practices climb the Quality Ladder quickly and progressively."

"Our Practice Development Plans are based on a unique analytical and data mining system devised by Navigator, which captures over 4,000 items of data about a GP practice - which means we can analyse and report on a wide variety of issues covering all the domains shown in the QOF: Clinical, Organisational, Additional Services and Patient Feedback - and actively assist in implementing changes, including the production of detailed surgery operating manuals. "

For further information about Navigator's Quality of Health Division and the services provided to GPs and PCTs, contact Chris Ludlow on 01622 655260, fax 01622 655251, email:info@navigatorgroup.co.uk or visit www.navigatorgroup.co.uk