Extra health funding for west Suffolk

EXTRA funding worth millions of pounds will be pumped back into GP services across west Suffolk after a survey revealed they were among the best in the country.

Doctors have earned top marks in a Department of Health scheme called the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF), which rewards top performing practices with extra funding.

The survey showed a total of 27 practices in west Suffolk produced the 25th best set of QOF results out of 303 primary care trusts in the country.

Practices that scored 96 per cent of the total points available will now receive more than £125,000, while the rest will receive a larger or lower amount, depending on their score.

In total, GP services in west Suffolk will receive £4.7million which can be spent on extra practice nurses and vital equipment.

Sue Hayter, lead officer for QOF at the Suffolk West Primary Care Trust (PCT) - which was replaced by the countywide Suffolk PCT this week - said: “The payments received by the GPs in the last two years have been used to develop clinical services in the practices and ensured that there are systems in place, at practice level, to monitor a wide range of clinical conditions.”

The QOF's scores are calculated from a range of checks covering all aspects of primary care, from diagnosis and ongoing management of conditions, to record keeping and overall patient experience.

A total of nine practices in west Suffolk scored a maximum 1050 points, while a further 12 scored within 10 points of the maximum. The remaining practices achieved results that were above the national average.

Health Minister Lord Warner said: “GPs are to be congratulated for delivering high quality services to NHS patients and improving their healthcare.

“It is right to reward GPs and their staff for increasing the range and quality of the services they provide.

“Practices are getting paid more because GPs and their staff are working harder and smarter.”