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I am in the process of applying for AQP status( or trying to ) asi am an NHS provider. Is anyone else applying and are you finding it as hard as me ????
regards

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Hello hann,
Personally I wouldn't bother with all the hassle. As I advised on a previous thread to someone, you'll need to check out the contract they are offering and make sure you get re-imbursed within a reasonable time as large organisations - especially public sector ones - are the world's worst at paying out. They might have some restrictive conditions in the contract that you need to be wary of, as well.

The NHS are discharging patients at a rate of knots so if you sit around long enough they'll find their way to you anyway without you having to do anything. So why make problems and extra paperwork for yourself?

Just my 6-penneth.

regards

Catfoot

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"Thousands of years ago, cats were worshipped as gods. Cats have never forgotten this."

Hi Hann
My clinic has AQP status for just over a year, it is a very tough process, we thought it was worth it as we do NHS surgery and had to register to maintain contracts. There are a few issues; the PCT's can change their mind at anytime, despite what is in the contract and you have to be firm with them. If you have support from referring GP's it will help. There are no more contracts jsut activity plans - which means that you are not guaranteed any money only that there is a certain amount that they are willing to pay you. They will try hard not to pay you - back to your relationships with referring GP's.

We are hoping to apply for AQP podiatry but our trust has not even distributed the application form and the closing date was mid April.

Getting onto Chose and book is a major hassel, we now have all the hardwear and softwear in place but no one is able to make the descion to turn it on. Getting to this point has taken last the 12 months with no help from anyone. You have to submit the information goverance form on connecting for heath website and they will tell you why you cannot have it, you have to amend your application again and see what happens. I felt that it was all being made very hard for independant clinics to go through the process.

So much for patient choice, we offer an excellent service which is different to the local podiatry department - we work evenings and weekends, can get people in when they want to be seen, etc, etc but have to work so hard to keep this service going. Very frustrating.

Could give you more info if you want to get in touch.

Colin Papworth

Don't forget that the comissioners will be setting the fees payable for any treatments, which may be consideraby less than those normally available to private practitioners.

Hester@DH says:
2 September, 2011 at 5:33 pm
Thank you for your questions.

As is the case now, commissioners will need to ensure that they are financially stable and do not overspend on services. The ‘Any Qualified Provider’ process allows commissioners to set the price they pay to providers, and establish clear referral protocols and clinical treatment thresholds based on best practice. This means that a set of criteria is developed, outside of which providers will return referrals to the referring clinician. In the event that patients are treated outside of these criteria, they should not be paid.

Thanks. Yes the previous reply also told me about that. At present I don't think they have decided the tarriff

For over 14 years I worked privately for a local GP under the Fundholding GP system.After different changes this was eventually taken over by the commissioners.From then on they dictated to me how much I was allowed to increase my fees each year ie. 1.6% 1.4% as per the 'uplift' allowed by the NHS.
Then they increased massively the paperwork and claim procedures etc..
I no longer supply.

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Geoff.
It seems that the less time you have, the faster it goes!!

Thanks Yes geoff that's exactly the same situation as me Historically a contract from fund holding days taken over by commissioners ( but I told them how much to pay me ) but now the nhs is the majority of my patients having squeezed out the privates for appointments. I don't think I have much option as it would be too big a hit to lose the nhs ones

Oh my words Hann, I didn't think there would be anyone in PP that would be in your position:

This should be a warning shot to anyone looking at AQP or AWP (any willing provider) as it is now known as. Do not put all your eggs in the NHS basket.

Can I ask both Hann and Colpod how much has it cost in monetary terms to achieve AWP/Choose and Book. This should include the time in monetary terms you have had to invest in organising this.

I am aware that registering as an AWP does not guarantee even 1 patient heading your way - potentially a lot of money, a lot of time for zilch return.

GB

AWP I like it ! So far all I've spent is time reading and organising written material etc. the application form to apply to become an AWP is not officially " open" yet. We have a meeting locally with the commissioner in a few days. Thanks for your interest I am taking on board what everyone is saying
Hann

AWP....including all those qualified, not qualified and social care enterprises and Uncle Tom Cobley an'all...

Makes you feel all warm and loved.

GB

Many apologies....

My head was firmly in the past yesterday. It is AQP (changed from AWP). Same content, different name.

I am still interested in the cost aspect from those who are going through the hoop jumping as in business terms it seems a massive risk to take with no guarantee of an increase in turnover.

GB

George
I agree it can seem a bit of a risk with no guarantee of income, we have spent a lot of money in the application process both in terms of time and real money. It is a difficult position to be in when a big chunk of your turnover comes from NHS work. We had no idea that this was the route we were going to have to take to be able to continue with NHS work and there has been no help or guidance. If we stopped our NHS work it would have been a big hit to our turnover, we would of had to lay off some of our staff and it would of had an effect on a lot of our other clinic work. We get knock on private work from the NHS work from word of mouth or 2nd pair insole, etc.

We did have to think hard about what to do. We have a lot of GP's who wanted to use us still, we checked this out. Most of them do not have any other options. We provide an excellent service - and slightly different to the local NHS service. The AQP has given us access to more GP's (we rent rooms from a medical centre who until we had AQP could not use us, now they can), we have had to employ a new member of staff for admin alone but she is generating extra work as she had the time to contact the local GP's and make sure they know about us.

It is hard work but we decided to go down this route. So far we are making more money than we have laid out and hopefully it will continue. Although there are no guarantees. You have to keep banging on the PCT door (whilst it is still there), get GP's on your side and provide an excellent service. It is not for the faint hearted and I think small clinics would struggle with the amount of admin and conditions that you have to meet.

There is very little help from any organisations but if there are any clinics looking at going through this process then we may have to work together to make this work. If this is the way forward for the NHS (and seems like it is at the moment) and patient choice is still going to be around then why not put yourself forward as a centre where people can come and have NHS treatment??

Colin

All,
I found this and I am posting it just for interest

http://twitter.com/#!/badscienceblog...59146245435392

regards

Catfoot

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"Thousands of years ago, cats were worshipped as gods. Cats have never forgotten this."

Hi Hann
Yep I'm going to go for it but it seems like a long long road to get thru the application. If anyone has can offer some help it would be most helpful !!!!!1

regards
Russ

Hi russ
Has supply 2health posted for apllications in your area? Nothing in south west yet.
Im still undecided and thought id applybut not sign anything contract wise unless it suited. I think the main prob will be a low tariff which to be viable would mean getting through patients on a massive scale probably using new grads.
Hann

Hi Hann
Tariff not that bad Bradford not posted yet but have been in touch re tariff's.
Look at Nottingham's add on the supply health website. Its the 5000 word answers they are expecting for the application!!!!!!

Hi russ
Whats the tarriff then?
Hann

the tarif is 37.50 for domi
150 for nail op

25 for clinic.

i am applying now have already spent 2 weeks on the application with my wife its enormous all patient must be screened with doppler so will also have to register with cqc. at acost of approx 2000 the nail op only applications are easyer the pt comes to you but domis how can you apply to do domis in say shropshire 1 pt in whitchurch the other in leominster 2 hours appart its majorly f---cked up. plus you need about 30 policies equal to trusts policies these have taken weeks to research and write my poor wife has aged 20 years. application must be in bt 22 june so must push on. the whole process is designed for avensis /virgin health not for small podiatry businesses good luck all.ps ive kept all of my nhs contracts so aqp will just be the extra cream on the cake will get aminimum of 2 nail ops per week not to bad for an hours work

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Hi fishpod
The 25 tariff for clinic is less than i charge now. The price INCLUDEs provision of simple orthoses dressings creams etc etc from the local formulary. I cant see it being viable unless you get 5 new grads in, pay them peanuts and rush the patients through. Horrible for pods and patients alike. Like you say profit only through mass market rather like primark compared to john lewis.
Why do you have to be cqc registered to do dopplers. I do that now and am not.
Agree with comment re doms. Afternoon wasted driving. Note you cannot refuse to take a patient ( ive checked this ) so a pt who lives miles away who is taken on for reg ongoing care ie high risk diab - who then becomes housebound - you are contracturally obliged to continue care as dom.nothing posted yet in our area but im going to apply,( because i love writing 5000 word essays!) try and qualify and sign NOTHING until ive got a contract that is how i want it to be ie make a living and not a loss. Be careful as you sign for? 3 years and the tarrif can go down

by the way lads its not awp its aqp. awp sounded to private so they changed it to aqp. if you are registered to suppy 2 health you can arrange asearch daily for the relevant pct offers they pop up every day in your e mails. u will need a data protection number and be a regisrered data controller . also an enhanced crb check is needed clinical governance policies 5000 words experience 5000 words u need instant telephone laungauge interpretation lip reading pts transport deaf blind interpreting the list is endless. the maastrict treaty will be smaller than my aqp application

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hann the contract is for 1 year you are aqp registered for 3 years its not the same. no kids no orthotics no biomechanics no diabetics in the spec the contract says all pt must be dopplered to do diagnostic tests you will have to be cqc registered it says so in the midland cluster specification i khow its abummer you can do your private pts and nhs pts with a doppler but not aqp pts cqc is mandatory wat bull**** . ps hann i wont be giving them creams they can buy their own over the counter the clinic tariff is crap but one of my pcts the contract is just for nail ops now thats nice no doms no crap just agood ole income stream however ill bet no small practitioners get through the process i hope they do but ill be supprised if i get through and ive got insider knowledge the process is just large and complicated/good luck with your application

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I think it may be different here as the meeting i went to with the dep health people said paeds and bimechanics and contract 3 yrs. maybe they are not clear themselves????

i went to a meeting april 15 with the great and the good they said no need fof cqc just wait untill the offer comes out i hope u get less supprises than me.they havent got a clue what they are doing most pcts in the midlands are only offering nail ops on aqp because its much more simple and they hopefully will not have to pay out lots of cash . core podiatry might just cost them a packet.

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just had a reply from cqc re doppler use i am based in 2 clinic so cost 3 grand a dentist is 800 i clinic 1500 2 clinics the cost for an nhs trust is 1500.this makes no sense at all. typical government rubbish they want competition and to help small business.

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Why are you doing it fishpod?
Hann

hi hann its like mastermind ive started so ill finish the cqc thing is a bugger the rest is not so much of a problem i have all the policies and procedures written up most of the form is filled weve spent over 100 hours on it . spent 3.5 hours last night my wife wont let it beat us its a massive challenge . i know if i get an offer i will definately make money and ime worried my other contract work may eventually get mixed up in aqp so if im registered already im future proofing. plus i like to do what others cannot . ive got offers of gp premises comming out of my ears so see it as an oportunity to take on associates and make some xtra dosh before i retire.let me know how u r getting on good luck to the mad and the brave.

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well thats it folks ive submitted the massive form triple checked feel so relieved

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drive it like you stole it

Mine has gone as well today, a pretty hectic last few days. Lets hope it is what they are looking for. Had a lot of trouble with the website the last few hours this afternoon but at last hit the submit button. Lets just wait and see what happens.

Just heard the tarriff for my region is to be £20. Ha ha

ive been asked supplementary questions only took another 9 hours. the society informed me today that anybody doing aqp will most likeley have to cqc register so a bad result for them and us a gp practice can cqc register for 800 quid ave 60 staff a single handed podiatrist 1500 quid if more than 1 premises 3000 quid so thats fair and equitable. a dentist 800 quid dont think the society is as good as their professional bodies. somewhat weak in the negociating phase.

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