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Des Spence, in his July article in the BJGP,1 adds to the growing chorus suggesting QOF has done little if anything in terms of health improvement, but let’s just hold fire before we get criticised again for our work and income. Life expectancy is increasing, premature mortality is decreasing, but our disease ‘counting’ has also increased. Yes QOF, especially in the last few years, has had targets that make no scientific sense and is contrary to the idea of shared patient care and often logic and plain common sense. But there are practices where for a variety of reasons, care is suboptimal and the patients registered have morbidity and mortality that are increased compared with their locality. If these can be identified through QOF and help given, nobody is the loser.
- © British Journal of General Practice 2016
