Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans (a) NHS England, (b) NHS Improvement and (c) the British Medical Association’s General Practice Committee have to review the coverage of mental health care in the Quality and Outcomes Framework during 2020-21; and what steps the voluntary sector can take to contribute to that review.

Changes to the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) are agreed as part of wider amendments to the General Medical Services Contract. These changes are negotiated by NHS England and NHS Improvement and the British Medical Association’s General Practitioners Committee (GPC) England. NHS England and NHS Improvement and GPC England have agreed to an ongoing programme of indicator review in key priority areas, including mental health in 2020/21.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is currently developing potential indicators on anxiety and depression suitable for use in the QOF. Indicators are open to consultation with stakeholders. Stakeholders can register their interest with NICE via indicators@nice.org.uk