Latest articles

Latest Medeconomics articles

Redacting information from medical records - medico-legal advice

MDU medico-legal adviser Dr Ellie Mein provides advice on redacting information from medical records when complying with subject access requests or providing patients with access to their full online records.

How to increase patient uptake of online services

The new GP contract in England has a number of digital requirements - this article offers tips on how to increase uptake of online services in your practice.

Online access to patient records - a checklist

This checklist can help ensure you have processes in place for online access to records and prepare for the new contract requirement that all patients should have access to their full record online from April 2020.

Financial considerations for primary care networks

Specialist accountant Laurence Slavin highlights the financial issues that practices will need to consider as they set up primary care networks.

What practices need to know about state-backed indemnity

The state-backed indemnity scheme for GPs began on 1 April. Medeconomics explains what it covers and highlights issues practices should be aware of.

Details of the network contract DES for 2019/20

A summary of the network contract DES that applies for 2019/20 in England.

Contract guidance for England published

NHS England and the BMA have published further details of the GP contract, including the service specification for the network contract DES and the template primary care network agreement.

QOF changes for 2019/20

Changes to the QOF under the GP contract for 2019/20 will remove 'unnecessary indicators' and introduce a new quality improvement domain.

QOF quality improvement - end-of-life care module explained

Medeconomics looks at what practices will need to do for the QOF end-of-life care module in 2019/20, which makes up half of the framework's new quality improvement domain.

QOF: Setting quality improvement goals for end-of-life care

The new end-of-life care quality improvement module in the QOF for 2019/20 aims to improve the care patients and their carers receive. How can practices demonstrate they are doing this?

QOF: Network peer review meetings for quality improvement domain

As part of the new quality improvement domain in the 2019/20 QOF, practices are required to engage in network peer review to share and discuss learning from their activities.

QOF: How to undertake a prescribing audit and setting QI goals

The new prescribing safety quality improvement module of the 2019/20 QOF aims to reduce potential harm to patients by ensuring those taking certain medicines are properly monitored.

QOF quality improvement - prescribing safety module explained

Under the new GP contract in England a new quality improvement domain has been introduced to the QOF. Medeconomics looks at what practices will need to do for the prescribing safety module.

Could a triage app work for your practice?

One practice that has launched a triage app explains how they use the system day to day and offers advice to other practices considering this approach.

Agreeing terms and conditions with GP locums

A written agreement, negotiated and finalised in advance of the locum session, ensures both parties know what is expected.

BMA issues new guide to forming primary care networks

The BMA has published a new handbook to help practices in England as they establish primary care networks (PCNs) ahead of the May deadline.

Primary care networks: The clinical director role

Every primary care network will need to appoint a clinical director, who should be one of the GPs from within the network. Medeconomics explains what this role involves and BMA guidance on appointing a director.

How will the network contract DES work? (updated)

Under the new five-year GP contract practices are expected to join a network and sign up to a new network contract DES that will begin in July 2019. (This article has been updated to include new guidance on what practices need to do to become a network).