A new committee for the integration of healthcare commissioning in primary care has been created.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) Indicator Advisory Committee will replace two committees; the Quality and Outcome Framework (QOF) and Clinical Commissioning Group Outcome Indicator set (CCG OIS) Advisory committees.   

The committee will be made up of GPs, hospital clinicians, lay members and a range of experts from primary care.

The new committee will be responsible for overseeing both QOF and CCG OIS frameworks; as well as safe staffing and social care indicators.

Speaking to The Pharmacist, deputy chief executive of NICE, Professor Gillian Leng said this new committee isn’t “fundamentally different but will be aiming to meet more frequently - at least five times a year - depending on it’s responsibilities”.

Those already on the existing committees will be offered the chance to join the new integrated group, which will be comprised of a new “core” membership, and dependent on the specialist nature of discussion, will see additional members being “co-opted in” to provide additional expertise in key areas.

The committee will hold its first meeting in June 2015 and Prof Leng has predicted it will “consult on new indicators, testing indicators and working with stakeholders for new indicators for the UK”.

Chair of the new Indicators Advisory committee, Professor Danny Keenan, said: “A single advisory committee with commissioning and provider representation from across primary and secondary care, public health and social care, will be well placed to develop indicators that reflect how services are being commissioned and provided.  

“I look forward to working with the new committee to produce indicators that will continue to help set high standards of care and commissioning, and improve the care that all clinicians provide for their patients.”

Chair of NICE, Professor David Haslam, said: “As a former GP, I’m completely reassured that the planned high level of GP and practice staff input for QOF discussions will result in workable indicators that enhance patient care, whilst being sensitive to the pressures on GPs. Likewise, additional inputs from commissioners and hospital clinicians for the CCG OIS discussions will also be very valuable.”

Pharmacy lead at NHS Alliance, Mark Robinson, said: “The QOF indicators can have a considerable role in the delivery of better services and outcomes for patients. The QOF can support better treatment of patients with certain conditions and greater access to NICE recommended medicines. A pharmacist’s input within the development of the QOF indicators is important.”