Changes to the Quality and Outcomes Framework – Evaluation of the Quality Improvement Incentive Scheme

This year long study has been commissioned by NHSE and funded via the NIHR Research Unit for Health and Social Care Systems and Commissioning (PRUComm), and will run until July 2020.

A medical professional holds an elderly man's hand

This study will conduct a rapid evaluation of the introduction, implementation and impact of changes to the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) – a performance related pay scheme for general practice/primary care in England.  

Research focus is on the introduction of two new Quality Improvement (QI) elements to the QOF system which were incorporated into the General Practice Contract 2019.  These are 'prescribing safety' and 'end-of-life care', under which practices are financially rewarded for carrying out long term projects involving target-setting, working to improve care and measuring outcomes, etc. 

The aim of this mixed-methods study is to explore how general practices are responding to, and implementing the new approaches to quality improvement in their practices, and to provide evidence on the impact of the new QI elements of the scheme.   

Project team