League tables to reveal failing NHS trusts
The Health Secretary will tell health leaders at a conference in Liverpool that failing hospitals will be revealed in league tables and NHS managers will be sacked if they do not improve things.
Wes Streeting is promising a “no-holds-barred, comprehensive review” of NHS performance in England.
Hospitals can expect to be ranked on indicators such as care delivery and finance, so patients can see whether they are getting good service.
And “turnaround teams” will be sent to struggling trusts, while top performers will have more freedom over spending.
Meanwhile, senior leaders will be denied pay increases if major reforms are not made.
A new pay structure The plan, to be published in April for chief executives, will “crack down” on poor performance while rewarding success.
Streeting will tell NHS Provider Conference Now there will be no more “turning a blind eye” to failure – Something they had promised before, with the idea of league tables.
He will say, “We will reform health care, so that patients can get more benefit from the taxpayers’ investment.”
“Our health service must attract top talent, be more transparent to the public who pays for it, and run as efficiently as global businesses.”
‘Deep Dive’
At present, there is little incentive for trusts to run budget surpluses, leaving them unable to take advantage, the Department of Health and Social Care says – but that will now change.
Top performers will be given more capital and more control over where to invest it – whether it’s new equipment or technology or modernizing their buildings.
NHS oversight frameworkThe law which sets out how best to monitor trusts and integrated care boards will be updated to ensure that performance is properly scrutinised.
And in poorly performing trusts, the government and NHS England will “deep dive” to identify the most significant issues and how they can be resolved.
NHS trusts may also Using expensive agency staffing is banned To cover some rota gaps.
The government says some recruitment agencies charge up to £2,000 for a nursing shift – and last year, temporary staff in England cost the NHS £3 billion.
‘Stop waiting’
NHS Chief Executive Amanda Pritchard welcomed the accountability, saying: “This comprehensive package of reforms, developed together with the Government, will empower all leaders working across the NHS – and it will empower them to deliver the best possible services for our patients. Will provide the necessary equipment for.” ,
But Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patients Association, warned that the new measures must lead to positive change.
He said: “We hope that trusts that get greater freedom of funding will use this money wisely – to cut waiting times, improve the waiting experience for patients and improve services for patients. To strengthen ways of working together.”
“These are the things that matter most to the people who use the NHS.”
‘Challenging circumstances’
Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents NHS trusts, said health services were already subject to too much monitoring and regulation – and the prospect of “more league tables” would worry health leaders.
“NHS staff are doing their best for patients in extremely challenging circumstances and we don’t want them to feel like they are being named and shamed,” he said.
“League tables in themselves do not lead to improvement.”
“There will be a lot of detail about what constitutes a failure,” Mr. Taylor said, “much of which may be beyond a health leader’s immediate control.”
“We look forward to working with the Government to ensure that any new measures do not discourage managers from taking up roles in struggling organisations,” he said.
NHS Providers, which represents NHS trusts in England, said hospitals were already making every effort to boost productivity while delivering tough efficiency measures.