ABSTRACT
This chapter considers some of the quality and performance management initiatives and explores the various methodologies that can be employed for reviewing quality and performance. It outlines the national framework for assessing performance and discusses its relevance for general practice. A range of review systems has been developed to assess the quality of national health service. Indicators have been used in a variety of ways to assess the organisation and delivery of healthcare, and their different purposes tend to reflect the different organisational and political structures within which they have been developed. The national clinical effectiveness indicators were developed by a working group representing a broad range of stakeholders such as clinical practitioners, clinical effectiveness experts and researchers. In addition to developing a practice-based accreditation programme, the Royal College of General Practitioners has already developed a Quality Practice Award to provide a national quality scheme for practices.
