NHS Herefordshire, the leader for health in the county, has been rated ‘fair’ in the first assessment undertaken by the newly formed Care Quality Commission.
The performance rating is made up of two parts – looking at the quality of how the primary care trust plans and purchases services for patients, and the quality of its financial management. Changes to the way the ratings work, means the result is not comparable with previous years, but provides valuable focus on areas of improvement.
NHS Herefordshire achieved compliance in all core standards on patient focus, treating people with dignity and respect, making information accessible but safeguarding confidentiality, and in terms of food served to patients and how the trust manages complaints. Other core standards were met in maintaining a safe, secure, clean and private environment for patients and in public health, including how well the trust prepares for emergencies, such as swine flu.
In other core standards on clinical and cost effectiveness, the primary care trust also achieved compliance, as well as in making patient care accessible and responsive.
In terms of core standards in safety the trust met standards on infection control and how it manages medicines and clinical waste but needs to ensure that its contractors maintain decontamination standards, and this year it has appointed additional infection control nurses in the community to audit standards and provide training and support.
And compliance was achieved in professional codes of conduct, honesty and probity and staff training and development, but more assurance needs to be provided on employment checks and training on discrimination issues.
The trust performed against the majority of national health priorities, but has developed action plans to improve its performance on reducing teenage pregnancies, cancer mortality rates, improving stroke care, access to Chlamydia screening and helping people to quit smoking.
NHS Herefordshire 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.
The Care Quality Commission took up its responsibility for the quality of health and adult social care in April this year and has a statutory duty to assess the performance of nearly 400 healthcare organisations and award annual performance ratings. It brought together the Commission for Social Care Inspection, the Healthcare Commission and the Mental Health Act Commission.