Good Hope star rating announcement

Good Hope Hospital NHS Trust has been awarded one star for its performance in 2004/05. The award by the Healthcare Commission, announced today (wed), means the hospital, in Sutton Coldfield, remains on the same rating as the previous year.

The Trust met seven out of the eight key indicators and achieved average scores for all the other performance indicators it is measured on.

Graham Comfort, Chairman of Good Hope Hospital NHS Trust, said: “This represents an improvement on our performance the previous year. Unfortunately, the Healthcare Commission has concluded that it’s not enough to warrant increasing our star rating.

“Despite that, the improvements we’ve made mean that in some key target areas we are among the highest performing hospitals in the country.”

Anne Heast, the hospital’s Chief Executive, said: “It’s clear we came very, very close to achieving two stars. We have made significant and demonstrable improvements to the quality of our services. I’m very proud of the huge contribution our staff have made towards achieving that.

“The progress we’ve made may not have led to an improvement in our star rating, but it has led to major improvements in the speed, effectiveness and quality of services we provide for our patients – and that is what we are here to do.”

Performance highlights at Good Hope Hospital over 2004/05, include:

• Meeting the target for no patient having to wait more than 13 weeks for a first outpatient appointment a full year ahead of most other hospitals in the country.
• Meeting target for no patient having to wait more than six months for their in-patient procedure a full year ahead of most other hospitals in the country.
• Performance against the four-hour wait target in accident and emergency was above the national average – despite a record 8% increase in emergency attendances, 6% above the national average.
• The Patient Environment Assessment Team score, indicating cleaning and hygiene standards and the quality of the hospital environment, was green, indicating a good pass.

The only performance target the hospital significantly underachieved was financial management. The budget deficit for 2004/05 was £3.5 million compared with £5 million in 2003/04.

Anne Heast said: “We are consulting with the Strategic Health Authority and our commissioning primary care trusts over our financial recovery plan. Every effort is being made to make savings and identify ways to maximise income.”

Franchise agreement:

The Trust is managed under a partnership agreement with a private company called Tribal Secta.

Performance highlights:

In August 2003, the in-patient waiting list stood at 4114. By July 10 2005 it stood at 2,920 – down 1194, or 30 per cent. Good Hope is the only Trust in the Birmingham and Black Country authority with a waiting list that is falling consistently.

In August 2003 there were 562 inpatients waiting more than 6 months for treatment. Now, at the end of each month, there are none. This means we met the national target a year ahead of most other hospitals in the country.

In August 2003, there were 450 outpatients waiting more than 13 weeks for their first appointment. Now, at the end of each month, there are none. Again, we met the national target a year ahead of schedule.

In August 2003, only 87.6 per cent of people attending A&E were diagnosed within 4 hours – in April 2005 it was 97.9 per cent, and increase of 10.3 per cent, despite a 5,000 (8%) increase in attendances.

Good Hope has been selected as one of 28 national demonstration sites for new cancer waiting time targets. It means the hospital has been expected to achieve the shorter waiting times earlier than all other hospitals in the country. A new computer patient tracking system developed at Good Hope to enable the waiting times to be achieved may now be used across the NHS.

Last month, the work being done by Good Hope’s cancer teams to achieve the new targets was described as “motivational” by the Health Secretary, Patricia Hewitt. She also praised the hospital’s achievements in speech to the British Medical Association.

Good Hope’s Cancer Services underwent a peer review by a team of external cancer clinicians and experts in March. The initial report has been highly positive, describing in particular the colorectal surgical team and radiography department as examples of excellent practice.

Excellence in emergency care

The hospital showed it has one of the most effective emergency services for patients suffering heart attacks. Of the patients who are brought to Good Hope suffering heart attacks during 2004/05, 92 per cent receive thrombolysis within 30 minutes of arrival in A&E. The national average in England is 86 per cent. Also, 76% receive thrombolysis within 60 minutes. The England average is 55.4%.

Source : Good Hope