A new performance indicator assessing the quality of health services has published its findings. CHRIS JOHNSON looks at the results for Lewisham and Greenwich.

FINDINGS published by the Healthcare Commission show there is room for improvement across most of the boroughs' healthcare services.

The annual health check is the new performance indicator, which replaces the old star ratings system and looks at a much broader range of issues.

Assessment is broken down into two main criteria, where health bodies are assessed using a four-rung scale for quality of services and use of resources.

The new excellent, good, fair and weak scale roughly corresponds to the old system, which ranged from none to three stars.

Factors assessed include clinical care, meeting government targets and areas such as children's health and community mental health care.

Ratings for use of resources are based on assessments carried out by the Audit Commission and the hospital regulator, Monitor.

All trusts which were in debt for the financial year 2005/6 automatically received a weak rating for use of resources.

Here are the results for Lewisham and Greenwich's health organisations.

Lewisham Hospital

Quality of Service (QoS): GOOD

Use of Resources (UoR): WEAK

Former star rating: * (1)

Deficit: £1.5m for last financial year plus £7.5m from the previous financial year Chief Executive Claire Perry said: "I am very pleased at this rating. Given the tough year we have been through, with the need to make significant financial savings, this rating shows the good progress we have made."

Lewisham Primary Care Trust

QoS: FAIR

UoR: FAIR

Former star rating: * (1)

Chief Executive Lucy Hadfield said: "The annual health check has helped highlight areas which are working extremely well and those which need more development and improvement. We still need to make improvements to reach national targets, such as achieving the four-hour wait target."

Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich

QoS: FAIR

UoR: WEAK

Former star rating: none

Deficit: £19.7m at end of last financial year Chief Executive John Pelly said: "Because we posted a deficit last year, we expected to receive a score of weak for our use of resources. However we are very disappointed to receive a score of fair for the quality of our services. The detailed scores show we missed scoring good by just a single point."

Greenwich Teaching Primary Care Trust

QoS: FAIR

UoR: GOOD

Former star rating: * (1)

Chief executive Jane Schofield said: "Our progress has been noted in a wide range of areas, for example the reduction in waiting times for operations. Trust staff and teams of GPs, dentists, pharmacists and optometrists should be commended for their dedication to providing a wide range of health services to people in Greenwich."

Oxleas Foundation Trust (providing mental health care, social care and learning disability services in Greenwich)

QoS: EXCELLENT

UoR: FAIR

Former star rating: *** (3)

Chief executive Stephen Firn said: "This is an outstanding result. This rating reaffirms we provide mental health and learning disability services which can be considered among the best in the country."

South London and Maudsley NHS Trust (providing substance misuse services for residents in Greenwich and Lewisham)

QoS: GOOD

UoR: FAIR

Former star rating: ** (2)

Chief executive Stuart Bell said: "This is a completely new and more comprehensive system for assessing what we do and we will be using the results to help improve services further still."

London Ambulance Service

QoS: WEAK

UoR: GOOD

Former star rating: ** (2)

Chief executive Peter Bradley said: "We are extremely disappointed with the blanket rating around quality of service, which is not a true reflection of the level of care we have given our patients in the last year, particularly those with life threatening conditions."

How the picture looks nationally

  • Out of 570 trusts nationally, for the quality of service indicator four per cent received excellent ratings, 36 per cent good, 51 per cent fair and nine per cent weak.
  • For the use of resources indicator, three per cent are excellent, 13 per cent good, 47 per cent fair and 37 per cent weak.
  • Overall, 40 per cent of the 570 trusts received a score of excellent or good for quality of service and 15 per cent received good or excellent ratings for their use of resources.