16 October 2008
Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust has been awarded a rating of 'good' for the quality of services it provides to local people and 'fair' for the way it manages its resources in the 2007/08 Healthcare Commission's Annual Health Check. This is an improvement on last year, when we were rated 'good' for our services, but 'weak' for use of resources.
The Annual Health Check assesses the performance of every trust in England and Wales, giving a score of 'excellent', 'good', 'fair' or 'weak' for the two areas. The ratings provide patients, local people and staff with a public assurance about the state of health services, and help drive improvements locally and nationally.
The quality of services score is made up of a number of targets set by the Government. We were awarded the top rating of 'fully met' for the way we meet core and existing standards and 'good' for meeting new targets.
These targets look at a whole range of things, from how quickly we see patients referred to us for treatment to how easily patients can access sexual health services when they need them. The also include our safety standards.
Our 'fair' rating in the use of resources reflects the improvements we have made in the way we manage our finances, including how well we plan and monitor the money we spend, and whether we make sure that our services offer value for money. One of the biggest drivers for the move from 'weak' to 'fair' was the hard work of our 5,200 staff and volunteers in moving the Trust from a deficit of £5.5 million last year to a surplus of more than £820,000 in 2007/08.
Chief Executive, Samantha Jones, said: "I am very pleased with the ratings we have received in the 2007/08 Healthcare Commission's Annual Health Check.
"Our staff and volunteers have worked extra hard this year to help us maintain the quality of the clinical services we provide to the people of Epsom, Sutton, Merton and beyond, while also ensuring our finances are managed efficiently. Our success in this year's Annual Health Check is down to their hard work and reflects our commitment to continuously improve the care that every patient visiting the Trust receives.
"However, as ever, we recognise that there is always room for improvement and we are definitely not complacent. In the coming weeks we will be using our scores to look at where we can improve further."
Bill Gillespie, Chief Executive of Sutton and Merton Primary Care Trust (PCT) said: "The staff and volunteers at Epsom and St Helier should be very pleased with their ratings in this year's Annual Health Check. I know they have worked extremely hard to maintain and improve the quality of their services and the way they manage their finances."
Chris Butler, Chief Executive of Surrey Primary Care Trust added: "As the commissioner of health services for the Surrey population, Surrey PCT welcomes Epsom and St Helier's improved rating. Driving forward improvements in quality is a top priority for the local NHS and getting the money right is an integral part of this. However, we mustn't be complacent, and we want to see continued improvement for our patients having care at both Epsom and St Helier hospitals."
In 2005/06, the Trust achieved a rating of 'fair' for both the quality of services and use of resources. For further information about the Annual Health Check visit the Healthcare Commission's website.
