The GP Practice Index

Exploring variations between GPs in the care and cost of conditions that are treatable in the community

The new commissioning consortia will need a range of information on their communities, GP practices and providers. The two editions of the GP Practice Index highlight the kind of data that commissioning consortia will need to consider – variations between GPs in non-elective admissions to hospital for Ambulatory Care Sensitive (ACS) conditions, and the potential cost savings to be made by addressing these variations.

ACS conditions were selected for the analysis because they are potentially treatable in the community. Non-elective admission rates should therefore be amenable to changes in the provision of primary care.

At the time of publication, commissioning consortia had not been formed in every area of the country. In order to ensure national coverage, the results of our analysis are presented for the current commissioners of healthcare, Primary Care Trusts (PCTs).

GP Practice Index: 2nd edition

The second edition of the GP Practice Index explores variation between GPs in non-elective hospital admissions for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), for the time period January to December 2010.

The analysis has four elements:

  • Disparity in GP practices whose Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) figures show a low number of registered COPD patients but a higher than expected level of non-elective hospital admissions for COPD, highlighting where there may be a lack of engagement in primary care.
  • Disparity between GP practices with a high level of COPD patients in the QOF register and a higher than expected level of non-elective admissions, suggesting problems of ongoing care once patients have been identified.
  • The relative cost of High Impact Users (those who are admitted to hospital as an emergency three times or more within 12 months).
  • Potential cost savings if GP practices with significantly higher than expected non-elective admissions matched ‘expected’ levels.

GP Practice Index 1st edition

The first edition of the GP Practice Index explores variation between GPs in non-elective hospital admissions for the highest volume Ambulatory Care Sensitive (ACS) conditions, for the time period August 2009 to July 2010. The analysis shows the potential cost savings available if non-elective admissions from all GP practices were at the ‘expected’ levels.

The conditions reviewed are: Influenza and Pneumonia; Ear, Nose and Throat infections; Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease; and Diabetes complications.