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HSC 2000/023 - Quality and Performance in the NHS |
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| Series Number: | HSC 2000/023 |
| Issue Date: | Issue Date: |
| Review Date: | 14 January 2001 |
| Category: | Quality |
| Status: | Action |
| sets out a specific action on the part of the recipient with a deadline where appropriate |
| For action by: | Health Authorities (England)- Chairman |
| Health Authorities (England) - Chief Executive | |
| Health Authorities (England) – Directors of Nursing | |
| NHS Trusts - Chairman | |
| NHS Trusts - Chief Executives | |
| Health Authorities (England) - Directors of Public Health | |
| Primary Care Groups and Trusts - Chairmen | |
| Primary Care Groups and Trusts - Chief Executives | |
| NHS Trusts - Medical Directors | |
| NHS Trusts - Nurse Executives |
| For information to: | Community Health Councils, Chief Officers |
| Social Services Directors - England | |
| UK CNOs | |
| Consumer Groups | |
| Patient Representative Groups | |
| National Institute of Clinical Excellence | |
| Commission for Health Improvement | |
| Academy of Medical Royal Colleges |
| Further details from: | Mark Svenson (for High Level Performance Indicators) |
| Room 4N23 | |
| Quarry House | |
| Quarry Hill | |
| Leeds LS2 7UE | |
| 0113 254 6425 | |
| mark.svenson@doh.gsi.gov.uk |
| Further details from: | Anne MacLaren (for Clinical Indicators) |
| Room 5E40 | |
| Quarry House | |
| Quarry Hill | |
| Leeds LS2 7UE | |
| 0113 254 6204 | |
| anne.maclaren@doh.gsi.gov.uk |
Additional copies of this document can be obtained from:
Department of Health
PO BOX 777
London
SE1 6XH
Fax 01623 724524
It is also available on the Department of Health web site at
http://www.doh.gov.uk/coinh.htm
Summary
In July 1998 A First Class Service: Quality in the New NHS outlined a three part approach to improving quality - new national standards; dependable local delivery systems; and improved monitoring and performance assessment. This circular is concerned with the third part and accompanies the second set of NHS Performance Indicators to be published (replacing HSC 1999/139, dated 16 June 1999). This indicator set updates, expands and brings together in one document the High Level Performance Indicators (HLPIs) and the Clinical Indicators (CIs) to support the implementation of the NHS Performance Assessment Framework (PAF). The HLPIs and CIs provide useful information about the quality, efficiency and outcomes of NHS services to enable Health Authorities, Primary Care Groups and NHS Trusts, working with local partner agencies, to monitor, improve and report locally their performance so that patients across England have access to the same high standards of care.
ActionHealth Authorities, Primary Care Groups/Trusts and NHS Trusts should work together with local partner agencies to use the information contained in the indicators sets to:
| review the performance of local services across the six areas of performance set out in the Performance Assessment Framework; | |
| compare local performance with that of other Health Authorities and NHS Trusts across the six areas of the framework and identify areas for improvement; | |
| share information about achieving good results for patients with other NHS organisations and to take forward work on benchmarking; | |
| assist work in taking forward Clinical Governance to fulfil the duty of quality; | |
| strengthen the emphasis on quality and outcomes in local Health Improvement Programmes and local service and accountability agreements; | |
| involve the users of local health services by incorporating the indicators in existing arrangements for public accountability and to provide information about the performance of local health services to patients and the public; | |
| secure improvements in the quality and accuracy of data collected routinely within the NHS. |
Consultation was undertaken by the NHS Executive in 1997/98 on the HLPIs and CIs. Since then work has been ongoing in partnership with the clinical professions and NHS managers to develop the indicator sets. The current set now numbers 49 indicators, including 7 clinically based indicators shown at trust level. It has been expanded to include indicators linked to the National Service Frameworks, indicators relevant to primary care and indicators based on the results of the National Survey of NHS Patients.
The aim in publishing the indicators is to ensure that, where there are large and unexplained variations in performance, every effort is made to find out why, and work is put in train to bring about an early improvement. The quality of data used in these indicators has improved since last year’s publication, and the contribution of the NHS in this respect is gratefully acknowledged. Consistently high quality of data is a key aim of the Government’s information strategy for the NHS, Information for Health, (published in 1998). This will take time, but this second publication of NHS Performance Indicators will continue to send the signal to the service that data quality is important and where necessary, steps should be taken to improve it.
A third set of NHS Performance Indicators will be published this winter, as a result of improved timeliness in the availability of data, and will be followed thereafter by annual winter publications.
Associated DocumentationThe indicators are published in Quality and Performance in the NHS: NHS Performance Indicators.
This publication is also available on the Department of Health's web site at
http://www.doh.gov.uk/nhsperformanceindicators
This Circular has been issued by: Acting Chief Executive
Neil McKay
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Last updated July 2000.