Health Secretary outlines measures for greater patient power

Health Secretary outlines measures for greater patient power From next year, for the first time, new ‘Ofsted style’ ratings will show patients how their local area’s health service is performing in crucial areas, including:

• cancer
• dementia
• diabetes
• mental health
• learning disabilities
• maternity care

The new ratings, broken down by Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), will not only be based on local data but will also be verified by experts in each field, including:

• the Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK, Harpal Kumar, who will verify cancer ratings
• the government’s Mental Health Taskforce Chairman Paul Farmer, who will lead on mental health ratings

Initial ratings, based on the current CCG assessments, will be published in June 2016. As part of the government’s transparency agenda, this will both spread best practice and help bring about improvement where services are underperforming. This will create a complete picture of care quality in the NHS. Department of Health

See also:

• RCGP response to Health Secretary’s announcement on a more patient-focussed NHS Royal College of General Practitioners 
• Ofsted-style ratings for cancer and dementia services  The Daily Telegraph
• NHS patient healthcare to be given ‘Ofsted-style’ ratings The Guardian