Quality Practice Award (QPA)
Increasingly,
general practitioners are working as part of an extended
practice-based team. The ability to work in an effective team can
take forward the range and standards of care that a practice can
offer. RCGP has been instrumental in developing a number
of assessment and educational tools that test and develop a team’s
ability to provide good and excellent levels of care in appropriate
environments and by a range of professional staff.
QPA is a quality assurance process which was developed in
Scotland and launched in 1997 as a UK-wide College initiative.
Through collection of evidence against stretching standards,
general practices are awarded this quality marker. QPA is highly
regarded and indicates
a high standard of quality patient care, which is
delivered by every member of the practice team.
QPA is available for practices to undertake throughout the UK.
Upon successful assessment by a multi-disciplinary team a plaque,
which can be displayed in practice premises, is awarded to
practices and this marks achievement for five years. In addition
the practice is entitled to use the QPA logo on all stationery.
There are a total of
14 practices in Northern Ireland who have
taken on the challenges of the Quality Practice
Award.
For further information contact david.fry@rcgp.org.uk or
follow this
link
In response to requests from a large number of practices who
would like to take part in QPA but feel unable to complete the
entire project in an 18 month timescale. RCGP Scotland has
developed a pilot version “Modular Quality Practice Award” (known
as “mQPA”) which has been offered to all practices in Scotland
from April 2008.
GP practices that embark on this Award will be
able to take the following modules in any order.
- Patient Centred
- Management of illness
- Records
- Special Groups
- The Learning Organisation
- The Practice Team
For further information on the Award click on the ^ link