The planned rise in upper quality and outcomes framework (QOF) indicators should be delayed for a year, the Family Doctor Association (FDA) have said.
In its response to the official consultation on the GP contract for 2013/14 FDA said the proposed changes will “erode holistic patient care” and “demoralise” GPs.
The increased general practice workload will cause senior GPs return to their practices instead of running clinical commissioning groups, the FDA have claimed.
Workload issues
“While the Family Doctor Association is entirely signed up to continuous improvement in patient care, the raising of thresholds for achievement has to be phased in at a pace which can be assimilated into everyday clinical care, for fear of falling foul of the workload issues which have been highlighted earlier in this response,” their response said.
FDA has proposed that the changes should be deferred until April 2014 to “allow for the immense changes” to general practice.
Chairman Dr Peter Swinyard said: “The pips are squeaking in general practice and there is no room left for adding yet more work without adequate resources.”
‘Political whim’
Proposed new DESs need to be revised to provide quality healthcare based on evidence and service availability rather than “political whim” according to the FDA.
