27/07/2005

West Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust has today welcomed the publication of the 2005 Performance Indicators, which they say highlight the 'very real improvements made in many areas of the NHS locally'.

Chief Executive, Stephen Golledge explained that the 'Star Ratings' announced by the Healthcare Commission provided a basis for action on improving the health and well being of local people and their experiences of NHS services.

The Performance ratings are based on how well NHS organisations have performed on several key indicators during the financial year 2004-2005.

The main findings are consistent with the PCT's own priorities for improving performance and developing health services for patients over the next three years.

The PCT received '2 Stars' (out of 3) for this year. A '2 Star' rating indicates that the Trust is performing well overall, but needs to take action to improve performance in certain areas.

Stephen Golledge: "The performance indicators show that there have been some very significant improvements over the last year and this is testament to the hard work and dedication of front-line staff who work in GP practices, local hospitals and in the community."

"Our achievements over the past year in many areas of service delivery have been recognised by the Healthcare Commission and by the Strategic Health Authority. These include significantly improving access to NHS Dentistry, helping more people than ever before to give up smoking, meeting targets on improving patient access to GPs and other health care staff and achieving all hospital inpatient and A&E waiting time targets for the benefit of our patients."

"Whilst these achievements have been fully recognised, we acknowledge the challenge of achieving financial stability over the coming years. We need to strike the right balance between meeting important priorities and targets for improving patient care, whilst ensuring that the NHS locally 'lives within its means'. This is in the interests of our staff, our partners and our patients and we are determined to tackle this priority head on during 2005-2006."

In their 'Annual Review' letter to the PCT, Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Strategic Health Authority commented on the development of services in West Gloucestershire and the challenges ahead. It read:

"We acknowledge that it has been a positive year in many areas and the PCT has delivered on all key targets with the exception of finance."