The Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) was introduced as part of the General Medical Services (GMS) contract on 1 April 2004. The QOF is an incentive payment scheme (not a performance management tool) which aims to improve patient care by rewarding practices for the quality of care they provide. This quality is assessed using achievement against a range of indicators across a number of key areas in clinical care and public health. A key principle of the QOF is that indicators should be based on the best available research evidence.
In QOF 2020-21, 68 indicators were included across the following groups (age groups specified where applicable):
- Asthma (6+)
- Atrial fibrillation
- Blood pressure
- Cancer
- Care of people with learning disabilities
- Cervical screening (25-64)
- Chronic kidney disease (18+)
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Dementia
- Depression (18+)
- Diabetes mellitus (17+)
- Early cancer diagnosis
- Epilepsy (18+)
- Heart failure
- Hypertension
- Learning disabilities
- Mental health
- Non-diabetic hyperglycaemia (18+)
- Obesity (18+)
- Osteoporosis (50+)
- Palliative care
- Peripheral arterial disease
- Rheumatoid arthritis (16+)
- Secondary prevention of coronary heart disease
- Smoking
- Stroke and transient ischaemic attack