Bulletin 10.03.2014
QOF Framework 2013/14
The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) sent an email bulletin to practices last week on the QOF for the 2013/14 financial year. A step-by-step guide for practices will be issued in March by the HSCIC. We recommend that practices read last week’s bulletin, which explains how the General Practice Extraction Services (GPES) will operate for the QOF extraction. The bulletin also explains how practices should prepare for and participate in the QOF using the Calculating Quality Reporting Service (CQRS).The GPC has emphasised to NHS England and the HSCIC the need for the necessary functionality and training to be in place so that practices can effectively use the CQRS with minimised disruption. In the event that data is not available via GPES for all practices by the end of March, the HSCIC has provided some detail on their contingency plan – this is also set out in the bulletin with further information to follow. Please also see the HSCIC’s FAQs.
DEP001, QOF Business Rules
Following a query regarding the QOF business rules of DEP001, where a practice had found that their performance on this indicator dropped following the upgrade by EMIS to v27.1 of the business rules, the GPC have had the following advice from the HSCIC:
‘Originally indicator DEP001 was developed to follow the guidance which requires that the diagnosis of depression and the bio-psychosocial assessment (BPA) codes are recorded on the same date to meet the requirements for this indicator and that a patient would only have one BPA recorded for each new episode of depression. The BPA code was a new code in April 2013, however it was found that some practices were recording the code again following diagnosis (as well as at diagnosis), which was a use that HSCIC hadn’t anticipated. It has since been brought to HSCIC’s attention that a patient may have more than one BPA recorded in a given QOF year. This has been discussed with QOF stakeholders and as the numbers of patients affected was expected to be small any change to the indicator was to be implemented in 2014/15, however this indicator will now be retired on 1 April 2014.
HSCIC have considered whether a change can be made to the business rules at this stage, however this is not possible as there will be an impact on GPES as all the suppliers would need to go through re-certification.
If practices feel that they have been unfairly disadvantaged for 2013/14 QOF they are advised to negotiate with their area team. Where a patient newly diagnosed with depression in the current QOF year, has received more than one BPA in the current QOF year the area team would need evidence that at least one BPA had been recorded on the same day as the depression diagnosis.’
Alternatively, practices could delete the second offending code, and re-enter it as free text to preserve the integrity of their record.
Workplace Pensions
Neither the GPDF nor GPC provides financial advice to individual GPs; however they would like to draw to GPs’ attention to areas of change in legislation which may have an impact on GPs and/or their practices. Workplace pensions place responsibilities on employers including GPs, both as practices and individuals (e.g. for nannies), to provide a pension.
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Workplace pensions, or ‘Auto-Enrolment’, began rolling out in October 2012.
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Roll out will continue for several years through until April 2017 for the smallest businesses, and that extended timetable will deal with many practices.
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The legislation requires all employers to enrol automatically some or all members of their workforce, depending upon age and wage level, into an employer organised pension scheme with certain minimum standards.
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The NHS pension schemes may not be the solution for all GP employers as some workers may be ineligible to join the scheme.
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An individual does not have to remain in the scheme and can opt out within one month of being enrolled.
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Every employer will be allocated a date from when the duty to establish a scheme first applies and this is known as the staging date; for the GPDF this will be 1 April 2014.
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There is a particularly important consequence of Auto-Enrolment. It may lead to loss of fixed or enhanced lifetime protection already obtained with the possibility of a 55% tax rate.
The GPDF and GPC urge you to begin by taking independent financial advice in so far as Auto-Enrolment is likely to impact you personally and/or your practice. Planning is the key.
The BMA, NHS Confederation and Pension Regulator all provide very helpful further information.
Final Seniority Figures 2010/11
The Final Seniority Factors for England and Wales for 2010/11 have been published today by the Health and Social Care Information Centre, following agreement by the Technical Steering Committee. The figures are £94,080 for England and £82,237 for Wales. Further details and the report explaining the calculations may be viewed on the HSCIC website.