18 November 2010
As part of a drive towards even greater openness and transparency, Epsom, Sutton and St Helier hospitals have started to publish data which will allow patients and local people to track how well the Trust is performing on a monthly basis.
The Trust's website features the latest information on how well it is serving patients in a range of key areas, including:
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A&E waits - how quickly patients attending the Trust's A&E departments are seen, treated, admitted or discharged;
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Waits for treatment - the time it takes for patients to start their treatment;
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Readmissions - how many patients are readmitted after being discharged;
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How quickly the Trust responds to complaints.
People can also find out how many patients have failed to attend outpatient appointments. It is estimated that each missed appointment costs the Trust £126, or £3 million per year.
Dr Ruth Charlton is the Trust's Deputy Medical Director. She said: "These days, being able to get up-to-date information quickly and easily is vital, and as a Trust we are committed to making sure our patients and local people know how well we're doing at any given time.
"Local people can go to the website and see, instantly, how quickly we are seeing people in A&E or how long patients with cancer have to wait before starting their treatment."
In recent months, the Trust has started to publish a range of other information, including:
Dr Charlton added: "We will of course be adding more and more information to the website over time and would welcome suggestions from the public about the sorts of things they'd like to see."
