Peter Ainsworth has expressed concern about the quality of healthcare in Surrey following a report that has rates services in the county as “weak”.
The Healthcare Commission has published its most in-depth analysis of the performance of England's 570 NHS trusts across a range of categories in the Annual Health Check 2006/07. The Commission’s report, released yesterday, has rated Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust and Surrey Primary Care Trust as “weak” for both the quality of their services and their use of resources. Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs East Surrey Hospital, is one of four Trusts that was scored “weak” in both categories for the second year running.
The report considers indicators when coming to its conclusions including hygiene, waiting times and mortality rates for certain conditions.
Responding to the report Peter Ainsworth said:
“It is obviously a matter of concern to discover that our local healthcare services have been scored so badly. This is no reflection on the brilliant work of local doctors, nurses and other hospital staff, often in very difficult circumstances ”
He went on to say:
“I am not especially surprised that our local services are finding it difficult to cope given that there have been 10 major reorganisations of the NHS since 1997 - each extremely costly. I shall be writing to the Chief Executives of each of these Trusts asking them to provide an explanation of their present position and I will be monitoring the situation closely.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
1) The Healthcare Commission is the independent inspection body for both the NHS and independent healthcare. The full report can be read here.
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