Health care getting better and better

Following my visit last week to our fantastic new hospital in St. Helens, I was delighted with yesterday’s Healthcare Commission Annual Report which showed that significant improvements have been made across the health service.

The Healthcare Commission is England’s healthcare watchdog and yesterday published its Annual Health Check – the toughest and most comprehensive assessment of the NHS.

The independent report showed many improvements across the NHS, with 42 trusts rated as ‘excellent’ for both quality and finance – over twice as many as last year. This is improvement for the second year running now.

There was no better example of these improvements than in our own area. St Helens & Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust was the only Acute Trust across Cheshire and Merseyside hospitals to earn the highest possible ratings - a perfect double 'excellent'.

Furthermore, it was one of only four Acute Trusts in the North West of England to reach this level of recognition.

The report proves the real difference that rigorously measuring performance and working with Trusts to help them improve really does make, both here in St. Helens and across the country.

And, above all else, this report continues to show the Government’s commitment to providing the public services and the NHS that the British people deserve.