23 December 2010
Epsom, St Helier and Sutton hospitals are celebrating their best ever performance in their annual evaluation carried out by the Audit Commission, the independent watchdog which monitors the efficiency and effectiveness of public services.
Each year, the commission assesses how well all NHS trusts manage their resources and deliver value for money to the taxpayer.
The Audit Commission’s most recent report shows that the Trust improved in four of the five key areas in the financial year 2009-10, including value for money and financial management.
The Trust, which has an annual turnover of just under £340 million, also improved its overall score from ‘adequate’ in 2008-09 to ‘performing well’, the second highest level of performance, last year. The Trust’s complete scores were:
- Overall – performing well;
- Financial reporting – performing well;
- Financial management – performing well;
- Financial standing – performing strongly (the highest level possible);
- Internal control – performing well;
- Value for money – performing well.
Jon Sargeant is the Trust’s Director of Finance and Strategy. He said: "This is a fantastic achievement for our staff. They have worked tirelessly to improve our financial performance over recent years, with a particular emphasis on increasing the efficiency of our services, so that we can spend more money on improving the care we provide to our patients.
"The UK’s finances, like those of other country’s across the world, aren’t in a great shape and it's having a significant impact on public sector organisations like the NHS. As such, it’s vitally important that we manage our finances well. This is taxpayer’s money we are talking about, so we have to make every penny count."
