England introduces star system for hospital trusts

Abstract

NewsNew performance indicators giving star ratings to NHS hospital trusts in England mark the end of "the culture of excuse and inevitability," health secretary Alan Milburn said this week.The system rates 173 nonspecialist hospitals in England according to performance on a wide range of indicators, including waiting times from GP referral to first outpatient appointments; vacancies in medical staffing; and the percentage of patients waiting on trolleys for more than four hours.Thirty five hospital trusts have been awarded three stars, 103 received two stars, 23 were given one star, and 12 hospitals received no stars at all."The indicators show that it is not about cash but about management and organisation within the hospital," said Mr Mil-

Indirect vs Direct Hospital Quality Indicators for Very Low-Birth-Weight Infants

“…1 Similar observations in a broad range of clinical specialties have led to a renewed emphasis on the accountability of health care organizations to both consumers and purchasers for the quality and safety of medical care. [2][3][4][5][6][7] For example, the Leapfrog group, a business roundtable-sponsored collaborative of large employers and insurers, h a s r e c e n t l y i m p l e m e n t e d a n evidence-based referral standard for 5 surgical conditions (coronary artery bypass graft, percutaneous coronary intervention, abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, pancreatic resection, and esophagectomy) and 2 neonatal conditions (VLBW and major congenital anomalies). The Leapfrog group Web site (http://www.leapfroggroup.org) now includes hospital-specific information about compliance with these standards.…”

Public Accountability and Sunshine Healthcare Regulation

“…In England the rating system was initially promoted by the Health Care Commission, now transformed into Care Quality Commission, and was based in performance indicators giving star ratings to NHS hospital trusts [ 11 ]. A wide range of indicators was selected including waiting times for general practitioner referral to first outpatient appointments, vacancies in medical staffing and the percentage of patients waiting on trolleys for more than 4 h. The indicators are related to a specific set of key targets designed to reflect a wide range of performance issues, following consultation with the service and other stakeholders.…”