Website shows performance of NHS and independent providers
 The Healthcare Commission has launched a website to make information about the performance of both NHS and independent healthcare organisations available and accessible to patients and the public. The launch coincides with the commission's release of the 2005/2006 annual health check ratings for all NHS trusts in England.
The website answers some of the questions commonly asked by patients and the public, such as ‘How long will I wait?’ and ‘How good is the care I will receive?’
For the first time, patients and the public can look at the performance of both the NHS and independent sector on one website. Using the search function, visitors can find information about independent healthcare providers, including their individual inspection reports.
The annual health check is claimed to be the most comprehensive assessment of NHS performance ever and covers the extent to which trusts meet basic standards such as safety, cleanliness and quality of care. It’s far more wide-ranging and tougher than the old system of star ratings, which only looked at how the NHS was performing in relation to targets set by the government. As well as the quality of services, trusts are judged on how well they manage finances and resources such as property and staff. These scores are based on a range of information gathered throughout the year.
Visit the Healthcare Commission website.
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