Healthcare improving............in Great Britain

[marmar]

You know, in that horrid, socialized health system. :think:



Healthcare improving but infections and GP waiting times need work, report says
• NHS Northern trusts score well, while London falters
• MRSA reduction targets missed by most trusts


John Carvel, social affairs editor
The Guardian, Thursday October 16 2008



The quality of NHS care in England has improved by leaps and bounds over the past two years, the independent health watchdog says today.

However, 60% of hospitals are still not dealing with superbug infections effectively, and 69% of GPs do not provide patients with the easy access to appointments that ministers want to see.

The mixed picture emerged in the Healthcare Commission's annual performance ratings for 391 NHS organisations. It said 62% of trusts were providing a good or excellent quality of service, compared with 41% two years ago. Financial performance improved even more sharply, with 69% getting high grades, compared with 16% two years ago.

Sir Ian Kennedy, the commission's chairman, said patients should celebrate the success of 42 trusts that received a "double excellent" rating, scoring top marks for both quality and finance. Last year there were 19, and just two in 2006.

Foundation hospitals did particularly well on the scoring system, which measures performance against dozens of criteria including patient satisfaction and achievement of government targets.

But serious weaknesses remain across much of the NHS. In the year to April a quarter of trusts failed to put in place adequate systems of infection control. Just over half did not achieve the government's target for reducing MRSA rates by 20% each year. Only 40% of trusts managed to introduce the right systems and hit the target. ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/oct/16/nhs-health