By Pamela McGowan Health reporter

Last updated 13:51, Wednesday, 01 October 2008

Cumbrian GPs are performing just above the national average, according to figures released yesterday.

Every practice in England – including all 93 in Cumbria – was rated against a set of performance indicators.

The Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) looked at the care of various clinical conditions, ranging from asthma, heart failure and diabetes to obesity and depression.

Each practice was also marked on organisational procedures, overall patient experience and the range of additional services provided.

The data, covering the 2007/08 period, was analysed by the NHS Information Centre and has now been made public.

Each practice was given a percentage rating for their level of achievement against each indicator, which made up an overall percentage score.

Nationally the average rating for a GP practice was 96.8 per cent, with the Cumbrian average standing just slightly higher at 96.9 per cent.

Patient experience scores across the county were particularly high – an area which has recently been praised in other national studies.

A spokesman for NHS Cumbria, the county’s primary care trust, said: “These results show that Cumbrian GPs have scored slightly above the national average on a range of different indicators.

“We are particularly pleased with the patient experience results (99.4 per cent) which show Cumbrian GPs enjoying one of the highest patient experience ratings in England.

“The vote of confidence in the county’s GPs comes hot on the heels of separate patient experience surveys published by the Department of Health and Healthcare Commission, which showed widespread patient satisfaction with GP services in Cumbria.

“In this latest performance data, the county’s GPs also achieved higher than average marks for the additional services they provide and the way practices are managed.

“While Cumbria was narrowly below the national average on the clinical score (95.7 per cent compared to 97.5 nationally) and holistic care (93 per cent compared to 93.3 nationally) the figures still show a high level of service.”

The QOF was introduced in April 2004, but was revised in 2006/07 to include higher thresholds for each indicator. They are used by the NHS when calculating each practice’s annual contract, rewarding them for the quality of service they provide.

Practices take part voluntarily and the scheme awards points for specific aspects of clinical care, such as how well the practice is organised, the patient experience and the extra services the offered, such as child health and maternity services. As a practice achieves more QOF points and provides more services, the payments it receives increase.

The results are all available to the public online.

Tim Straughan, chief executive of the NHS Information Centre, said: “QOF is a mechanism for rewarding practices for the quality of care they provide to patients.

“By putting the results of every practice online, The NHS Information Centre is working to make more information about primary care services easily available.”

Visit the website at www.ic.nhs.uk/qof