Top Marks for Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in Annual Check

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But mixed results for other local NHS services

Chelsea and Westminster is officially among the top 9% hospitals in England, and top 12% in London, after achieving two Excellent ratings in the NHS Performance Ratings, the health check carried out every year by the Care Quality Commission.

The Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation was among only 37 out of 392 Trusts in England to score Excellent both for both Quality of services and Quality of financial management.

The hospital scored top marks in a range of areas including safety and cleanliness, waiting to be seen, keeping the public healthy and overall standard of care. It was also congratulated by NHS Chief Executive, David Nicholson, and Care Quality Commission Chairman, Barbara Young, for sustaining "high levels of performance throughout 2008/09."

Results for other local NHS services however, were more mixed.  Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, which comprises local hospitals Charing Cross, Hammersmith, Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea, St Mary's and Western Eye, achieved a Good rating, but NHS Hammersmith and Fulham have only been rated as Fair.

Imperial College Healthcare Trust met all of its existing national targets, including waiting time for both A&E and inpatients, and it also scored excellent for its performance against new national targets set in 2008 – including incidents of C.difficile and MRSA, waiting times for cancer patients and NHS staff satisfaction.

Under patient-focused targets, Imperial College Healthcare scored top marks for dignity and respect and keeping the public healthy. Safety and cleanliness received a score of 13/14. However, in the standard of privacy and confidentiality, the Trust declared itself non-compliant, as it still has not completely eliminated mixed sex accommodation. The Trust hopes to put this right by April 2010, with £10 million programme to get rid of single sex wards.

Claire Perry, managing director of the Trust, says; " We are pleased that in our second year as a Trust we have proven that we are continuing to provide a good quality of service to our patients and robust financial management.

" We are continuously learning as we grow as a Trust and as the UK’s first academic health science centre. Our goal is to achieve an excellent rating in all areas in future health checks."

NHS Hammersmith and Fulham however, achieved only a fair rating, weaker than last year's good. It fell down on areas such as access to GP, breast screening and dental treatment services, and helping people stop smoking, though it did achieve its targets in areas such as waiting times for cancer patients and staff satisfaction.

Sarah Whiting, Managing Director of NHS Hammersmith and Fulham, says: " The rating of fair is a disappointment, but there has been a lot of improvement in the first six months of this year."

NHS Hammersmith and Fulham is now pumping over £6 million into improving services, in particular access to GPs and nurses. " More than two thirds of local practices are now open for longer hours with morning, evening and weekend clinics available. We’ve also opened two seven-day-a-week GP practices at Hammersmith and Charing Cross hospitals since April this year, " says Sarah. " But we know some local people still struggle to get an appointment with a GP when they want one. We’re determined to fix this.

" Easy access to high quality GP care is the foundation of all the major improvements we’re planning in the years ahead."

October 20, 2009