QPA Essential Guidance

Version 14 criteria

Module 1: Patient Centred
Module 2: Management of Illness
Module 3: Special Groups
Module 4: Learning Organisation
Module 5: Provider Team
Module 6: Essential Criteria
Statutory and Contractual Criteria

Guide to QPA

Step 1: Applying for QPA;

Submit the Notice of Intent to Apply (NIA) (download here) to the relevant RCGP office with a deposit of £1400 made payable to Royal College of General Practitioners. This amount will be deducted from your total submission fee of £3900.

Step 2: Adviser

Throughout the process you will have access to a team of QPA Advisers. They will provide you with advice and support on:

how to interpret the criteria
how the criteria relate to your practice
how you might approach presenting the evidence
support with monitoring your practice’s progress
how you might approach presenting your evidence
support on deciding whether you are ready to submit
a check through your written evidence prior to its submission for assessment

When the adviser considers that the submission is ready for assessment, they will notify you. At this point you should advise the relevant RCGP office, who will then begin to arrange the assessment visit. The adviser is only there to offer advice and the final say on whether or not a submission is satisfactory lies with the assessment team.

Step 3: Submission

Practice's should present their final documentation in the following way:

all contents should be bound or securely held within large folders and easy to access - do not overfill
the written evidence should be presented typed in 12 CPI on A4-size sheets
a new page should be used for each criterion presented
each criterion should be typed in full followed by your presented evidence
each page should be numbered and indexed in keeping with the modules
the use of poly-pockets and multiple appendices should be avoided
individual patients should not be identifiable - this means that initials and/or dates of birth should not be used
the document should be proof read to eliminate typing and grammatical errors

It is advisable to present your submission in an organised and methodical manner so the assessment team can easily access the information you provide.

The average submission is normally contained within 1 or 2 lever arch binder(s). Throughout the compilation of the written evidence it is suggested that you submit completed modules to the adviser for checking.

Step 4: Assessment Visit Team

The multi discipline assessment team will include a lead assessor and three other assessors. The practice will be notified of their visit team, and a copy of their submission must be sent to each member of the visit team, at least six weeks ahead of visit date.

Occasionally the assessment team will request some additional work on certain criteria from the practice, delays in providing this information may result in the visit being rescheduled.

Step 5:

Assessment Visit

The assessment visit is designed to be a positive educational experience. The RCGP office will liaise with the practice to arrange a full day visit and a time-table will be agreed with the practice (a suggested programme is available here). Please note the assessor team will require a room in the practice to work from.

The assessment visit will include:

a tour of the premises
observing the front office
examining the procedures manual
statutory and contractual criteria will be checked where appropriate
a survey of the record system
having the computer records explained
interviewing the staff
discussing the audits, clinical reports with the medical and nursing teams.

It is expected that a potential QPA practice will fulfil all their statutory obligations, which may be checked at the visit. Any major breaches found may prevent the award being made until they have been rectified.

At the feedback session, the assessment team will inform the practice of whether or not it has been successful in achieving the Quality Practice Award.

Step 6: The Award

Once RCGP has received confirmation that the practice has achieved QPA, the practice will be contacted with regards to their plaque.

RCGP will also assist with arrangements for the presentation if required. The award will remain valid for five years, and the practice is also permitted to use the QPA logo on letterheads etc, during this period.