A new online “calculator” enables practice managers and GPs to work out whether they will lose or gain income from the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) when adjustments to the prevalence formula are introduced from 1 April next year.
The calculator is available on the British Medical Association’s (BMA) website. It has been produced by Dr Paul Roblin with the assistance of the BMA’s Health Policy and Economic Research Unit (HPERU).
At present two adjustments are made to prevalence: a 5% “cut-off” is applied at the bottom of the national range of prevalence; and, once this cut-off has been applied, a square root transformation is made to all the contractor prevalence figures.
These two adjustments are being removed in two stages, the square root transformation being removed with effect from 1 April 2009 and the 5% cut-off with effect from 1 April 2010.
The BMA’s spreadsheet calculator is currently being adjusted to allow it to be used in Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, data are being sent separately to health boards so they can advise practices directly.
The BMA insists that the figures obtained from the calculator should be regarded as indicative only.
