£5000 and many diabetics can't get free test strips !

"MPs have backed Department of Health proposals to bundle most of the diabetes points in QOF to create a single indicator worth over £5,000.

The Public Accounts Committee - a cross-party committee of MPs - said the National Diabetes Audit had shown the current QOF system was not driving better outcomes and GPs needed tougher targets.

The calls come as Pulse obtained a copy of an investigation by the DH into discrepancies between the results of the National Diabetes Audit and QOF.

The investigation shows that performance under QOF may be even lower than previously thought, with only 40% of patients with diabetes receiving all nine checks."

Are some diabetics being ripped off !

At the moment there are nine parameters for the monitoring of diabetics in the UK. It has been reported that as few as 40% of diabetics get all the tests. At present Doctors are paid  on an individual basis for each element they carry out. MPs are debating bringing the nine test together and paying out one single payment of £5000 per year. This is to ensure diabetics get all the tests. What occurs to me is, bearing in mind the Government is cutting back on NHS budgets, how much in total were the medics getting for each individual element. I am thinking if they getting 5K now and possibly more, you would have thought there was enough in the kitty to supply test strips to all diabetics on prescription. Just a thought what are your views ?

http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/20000836.article?sp_rid=mji4mdq1mzg1njus1&sp_mid=40530937&spmailingid=40530937&spuserid=mji4mdq1mzg1njus1&spjobid=167111256&spreportid=mty3mtexmju2s0#.UKImzYcfK7J

Eddie