WRITTEN ON January 24th, 2006 BY William Heath AND STORED IN Design: Co-creation, Online Maps, What do we want?

This is cool – Dr Gavin Jamie, a Swindon GP, has written a site that looks at NHS quality data. He’s used FoI queries about the Quality and Outcomes Framework to start a browsable/searchable QOF Database.

Much of this information is at least as interesting for what it says about populations of patients than what is says about individual practices. For instance the prevalence of diabetes in every PCT in the country can now be calculated accurately.

It will also allow study of the effects of the type of practice. Are small practices as effective as larger ones at reducing cholesterol. Are they better at reviewing medication? This website should allow you to answer these questions and many others.

It’s Creative-Commons licensed. It it even has a Google maps mashup within for Strategic Health Authorities and PCTs. You click on the SHA button to get to the local organisation maps. Too late to win a lava lamp from us, I’m afraid, but always in time to make NHS quality data more accessible to every one of us who uses and pays for it. Thank you Dr Jamie!