❤️ Simple Contract Heart Failure 2025/26

💷 How much is this worth to me?

This template supports performance against several QOF indicators related to heart failure:

• HF007 – Annual review with medication optimisation

• HF003 – Prescription of an ACE inhibitor or ARB

• HF004 – Prescription of a beta blocker

• HF008 – Diagnostic confirmation for new heart failure diagnoses

Accurate use of this template ensures patients receive appropriate therapy and reviews, and protects income by applying valid exemptions where appropriate.

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📊 High-level overview of the specification requirements

HF007: Annual Review

• Must include:

  • A structured medication review

  • An assessment of functional capacity (NYHA classification recommended, though not required for QOF)

HF003: ACEI or ARB

• Patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) should be prescribed an ACE inhibitor or ARB.

• If not suitable, must be exception reported.

HF004: Beta Blocker

• Same cohort (HFrEF) should be prescribed a beta blocker unless contraindicated or declined.

HF008: Diagnostic Confirmation

• All new diagnoses after 1 April 2023 must be supported by:

  • Echocardiogram or

  • Specialist assessment

• This must be done:

  • Within 3 months before or 6 months after diagnosis

  • Or within 6 months of new patient registration (if previously diagnosed)

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📌 What do you need to know?

This template includes the following components:

🩺 HF007: Heart Failure Review

• Tick boxes to confirm:

  • Medication review completed

  • Heart failure review undertaken

• NYHA classification:

  • Class I–IV options describe the patient’s physical capacity and symptom burden

  • Useful for clinical context even though not required for QOF

💊 HF003 & HF004: Prescribing or Exceptions

• Tick to confirm ACEI/ARB or beta blocker is prescribed

• If not, record:

  • Declined

  • Not tolerated

  • Contraindicated

🧪 HF008: Diagnostic Confirmation

• Tick to confirm echo or specialist assessment completed

• Record exceptions if not done, within the 6-month QOF window

⚙️ PCA and Invitations

• Full PCA available to remove patient from all HF indicators

• Separate invitation section for QOF-compliant exception coding (2+ invites, 7 days apart)

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💡 Hints and Tips

• NYHA class is not mandatory for QOF but helps clarify disease burden and supports care planning.

• Medication reviews should aim to maximise tolerated doses for optimisation — a common reason for non-achievement.

• Newly diagnosed patients must have diagnostic confirmation recorded to count for HF008.

• Consider referral to echo or cardiology review proactively for suspected heart failure patients before adding diagnosis code.

• Ensure exemptions (e.g. “medication not tolerated”) are refreshed annually unless listed as a one-time exception.