Partner Article

North East NHS strong performer in ratings

Ratings released today by independent watchdog the Care Quality Commission (CQC) have revealed the quality of NHS services in the North East.

Every hospital in the region, as well as the ambulance service, has been rated either ‘excellent’ or ‘good’ for quality of services, giving the highest score in England.

58% of primary care trusts achieved a ‘good’ rating for quality of services, compared with 51% nationally.

Eighteen of the 23 NHS organisations in the North East are also rated ‘excellent’ or ‘good’ for use of resources, including good budget management.

Three organisations – Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust - received double ‘excellent’ scores for both quality of services and use of resources.

The CQC sets rigorous standards for measuring NHS performance, using a range of criteria including ease of access to GP appointments; screening and immunisation rates; and patient and staff satisfaction levels.

David Stout, acting chief executive for NHS North East said: “Today’s results give a clear indication of the quality of our local NHS services and also show that we are using our money wisely on behalf of people in the North East.

“While this is something to celebrate, we need to focus our efforts on areas for improvement to ensure the highest possible standards across all areas of healthcare. NHS North East’s ten year plan for health services in the region outlines our priorities for developing even better health services, organised around patients’ needs, so that everyone has access to the highest quality care, wherever they live.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .