Warning to under-performing trusts to improve
The Care Quality Commission publishes the annual performance ratings for all NHS trusts in England, including the 40 trusts in the East of England.
The overall results for the area covered by the East of England strategic health authority show that compared to last year 12 have improved their overall quality score, 14 have received the same overall quality score, and 14 have received a lower overall score.
Five trusts achieved a rating of excellent for both quality of services and financial management:
- Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- Luton and Dunstable Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Norfolk and Waveney Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
- North Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust.
One trust, South Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, was rated excellent for both quality of services and financial management for the third consecutive year.
No trusts in the region received weak ratings for either their quality of services or their financial management.
Norwyn Cole, regional director for the Care Quality Commission's East region, said:
"This is a wide-ranging assessment which is bringing together a vast amount of information on how well these trusts are run and how well they are serving the public.
"The results for trusts in the NHS in the East of England demonstrate there have been some improvements. However, a number have received an overall score that is lower than last year and it is concerning these trusts were not able to maintain their previous ratings. "
This is the fourth year that the annual assessment of the NHS has been undertaken in its current format. It is based on the trusts' performance between 1 April 2008 and 31 March 2009. The Commission rates each organisation as excellent, good, fair or weak - on both its overall quality and financial management.
• Of the 40 trusts in the East of England, 12 have improved their overall quality score, 14 have received the same overall quality score, and 14 have received a lower overall score.
• For overall quality, seven trusts were excellent, 15 were good, 18 were fair and none was weak.
• Of the 40 trusts in the East of England, 14 have improved their financial management score, 21 have received the same score, and 5 have received a lower score.
• For financial management, 12 trusts were excellent, 14 were good, 14 were fair and none was weak.
Each trust's overall quality score is based on its performance against core standards, existing commitments, and national priorities.
From next year trusts will be required to register with the Care Quality Commission. Norwyn Cole, regional director for the Care Quality Commission, reminded trusts rated as fair or where their rating had fallen, that the onus was on managers to address any shortfall in performance.
He said: "Time is now running out. In the New Year, all trusts will be required by law to register with the Care Quality Commission. To be registered, trusts must show they are meeting new essential standards of quality and safety which will apply across the care sector.
"If they don't meet those standards, they will have to show that they have systems and processes in place which mean that they are on track to meeting them within a short timescale.
"If they can't do that, it will then be up to us to decide whether to use our increased powers including restricting, suspending or, in the most serious cases, removing their registration. We are also moving to a system of continual monitoring and checking of whether trusts are continuing to comply with the new essential standards of quality and safety, which means we can act quickly and effectively where services are failing people."
Download the CQC`s regional analysis document for the East of England region.