Guide: QOF

How to increase your QOF income: Epilepsy

Updated November 2022

Summary – indicators and value

Indicators: 1
Points: 1
Prevalence*: 0.6%
£/patient on the register (est.): £3.50

*Prevalence is an estimate based on latest available QOF data and current trends. For further explanation read more details here.

Background

Epilepsy used to be a substantial part of the QOF, but now there is just one vestigial indicator and a single point.

Other than putting patients on the register there is no additional work required and patients are likely to remain on the register for several years, so the payment is better value than it may appear.

Indicator 1: Maintain patient register (1 point)

The register is made up of patients 18 years old and older who have a coded epilepsy diagnosis and have received a prescription for anticonvulsants after October of the QOF year. The range of qualifying diagnostic codes and drugs is wide and should not present challenges.

The practice will receive around £3.50 for each patient on the register and this is the only factor in payment; prevalence has no impact as there are no achievement indicators in epilepsy.

Tips:

If a patient is receiving medication from another source then a suitable prescription will still need to be issued on the practice system. This can be entered as a ‘hospital issue’ on the practice computer, or a prescription can be issued mirroring the hospital one and immediately destroyed.
As this is purely about maintaining a register there is no exception reporting available. If a patient’s epilepsy has resolved, this can be coded – they are likely to come off the register anyway if their medication has been stopped, but in some cases they may be receiving anticonvulsants for another indication.
Searching for anticonvulsants can help to identify patients who have not been correctly coded, although this may be more complicated where drugs have multiple indications.

Dr Gavin Jamie is a GP in Swindon and runs the QOF database website