The latest Government league table has identified the underperforming NHS trusts in England. Health Secretary Wes Streeting believes this initiative will provide targeted assistance where needed and address disparities in care quality. However, concerns have been raised that hospitals serving challenging areas may be unfairly criticized. The league table evaluates NHS trusts based on various criteria such as financial performance, patient access to care, reducing waiting times, and enhancing ambulance response times.
At the bottom of the acute hospital trusts ranking are Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn, followed by Countess of Chester Hospital and University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire. Conversely, the top-performing acute hospitals include London’s Moorfield Eye Hospital Trust, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital Trust, and The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester, known for being Europe’s largest specialist single-site cancer hospital.
The introduction of quarterly performance tables aims to reward top performers with increased autonomy and funding. The move is part of an effort to ensure transparency and enable sharing of best practices among NHS services. Separate tables for acute, non-acute, and ambulance trusts have been released, with North West Ambulance Service ranking highest among ambulance trusts and East of England Ambulance Service at the bottom.
While the tables are intended to drive improvements, there are concerns that they may stigmatize trusts serving disadvantaged communities. Leaders in NHS Providers emphasize the importance of accurate data and meaningful metrics to avoid unintended consequences that could impact patient trust and staff morale. Trusts with lower rankings are encouraged to learn from top performers, with potential consequences for underperforming senior managers and incentives for NHS leaders to drive turnaround efforts.
Matthew Taylor of the NHS Confederation stresses the need for league tables to avoid blame and focus on supporting improvement. Chris McCann from Healthwatch England highlights the public’s desire for clear information on NHS performance and the need for accountability when services are struggling. The emphasis is on promoting transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement within the healthcare system.
