Annual health check shows big improvements for patients in Herefordshire
Herefordshire Primary Care Trust has achieved dramatic improvements in the quality of service provided for patients, according to the 2008 annual health check published today (16 October 2008) by independent watchdogs the Healthcare Commission.
The PCT, which has responsibility for leading NHS services in the county, has been rated 'good'. Last year, the PCT was rated 'fair'.
The rating is based on the commission's assessment of how well patients are looked after, their safety, the cleanliness of hospitals and other clinical facilities and waiting times for treatment. This 'annual health check' of all NHS trusts in England is the single most important measurement of how well services are performing and is used to drive improvements for patients.
The PCT is responsible for planning and purchasing care from hospitals, GPs, specialists, dentists and other clinicians, so it is also rated on how well it manages its finances. Again the commission reports an improvement from 'fair' to 'good'. Herefordshire was also rated a 'best performing' trust for its urgent care and emergency services.
The PCT performed particularly well in terms of the safety and cleanliness and facilities, its work on 'keeping the public healthy', the standard of care that people receive, the way it commissions or purchases services and general all-round good management. The trust maintained its 'fair' rating, however, for hospital services for people with acute mental health problems.
Hereford Hospitals Trust also reported a 'good' rating for quality of services and 'fair' for use of resources.
"We are very pleased to be able to report such strong improvement for the benefit of people in Herefordshire", said Chris Bull, chief executive of Herefordshire Primary Care Trust and Herefordshire Council. "And we congratulate our colleagues in Hereford Hospitals Trust who have also achieved a 'good' rating for their quality of services.
"Our aim is to continue to improve the quality of health services, and to work to ensure that local people's experiences of those services are as positive as they can be. I would like to thank everyone in the primary care trust, our partners and our colleagues in the clinical services for all their support and hard work".
The Healthcare Commission has a statutory duty to assess the performance of nearly 400 healthcare organisations and award annual performance ratings. The commission issues a questionnaire, asking local people about what they think of the care and treatment they receive, so their experiences are taken into account in the overall rating.
