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The Quality Management and Analysis System (QMAS) is a web-based tool which will provide some 9000 GP practices across 303 Primary Care Trusts with evidence and feedback on their quality of patient care.

The new General Medical Services Contract for GPs - introduced in April - meant a special payment system was needed to support the contract's Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF), which financially rewards GP practices for the care they deliver.

With the introduction of QMAS, data is submitted by GP practices and verified by the system, which will form up to 30 per cent of new money for individual practices.

GP clinical software suppliers had to pass a stringent National Programme testing process to gain GMS Certification for the data submission to QMAS.

The software was made available to GP practices and PCTs last month and to date more than 5000 out of the 9000 practices now have the ability automatically to send clinical achievement data to QMAS each month.

This data is anonymised and because QMAS does not interrogate GP computers, patient confidentiality is not breached.

John Hutton said:

'QMAS is an excellent example of how investment in IT is helping doctors to deliver better patient care because the system facilitates payments based on the quality of care given by GPs.'

Professor Aidan Halligan, Director General for benefits realisation said:

'It shows how IT can, put simply, improve the working life of hard-pressed GPs.'

Richard Granger, Director General of NHS IT added:

'The National Programme has delivered a key component to support the underpinning principles of the Quality and Outcomes Framework.

'We would like to thank all the GP clinical system suppliers, including EMIS, Healthysoftware, In Practice Systems, Microtest, The Phoenix Partnership, SEETEC, Torex, UCL Chime, Exeter Protechnic and The Computer Room, who have gone through a stringent National Programme testing process to gain GMS Certification.'

The British Medical Association is highly supportive of QMAS.

Dr Paul Cundy, chairman of the BMA's GPC IT committee said:

'This is excellent news and will be welcomed by GPs. As a result of close working between the NPfIT and the GPC a vital part of the IT that underpins the new contract for GMS is now in place.'