20 northern trusts publish data

Twenty northern acute trusts are publishing a range of quality and safety datasets today as part of a programme that will be extended to the rest of the country and other care sectors.

The pilot involves 20 acute trusts in the North of England publishing data on: pressure ulcers developed in hospital; falls in hospital; the results of the NHS safety thermometer; and MRSA infections.

Also, Friends and Family Test scores; patient and staff experience survey questions; and patient stories.

The data will be displayed on each trust’s web site and on NHS Choices. A link to the data will also be available on the NHS England website.

Other northern trusts are due to start publishing next month and the aim is to ultimately expand this to the rest of the country and other care sectors.

The announcement is being made today by chief nursing officer for England, Jane Cummings, at the annual Chief Nursing Officer’s Summit in Birmingham.

Cummings will use her address to call for further improvements in care standards and transparency in the NHS.

“Absolute transparency is the key to driving improvements in standards of care. We need to ensure that every single patient receives great care, every time,” she says.

“Today trusts in the North of England will publish safety, effectiveness and experience data; with the overall aim of driving improvements in practice and culture.

“This includes reporting on patients who develop pressure ulcers and patients that fall while in hospital. This will be combined with the results from the Friends and Family Test, the NHS safety thermometer, patient and staff experience surveys and patients stories, all in one place, to not only build up a picture of care quality but also of an excellent and open reporting culture.

“This is a great example of the kind of transparency I am talking about. Our patients and their families and carers will be the judge of whether we are succeeding,” Cummings says.