Learning and transparency must remain focus in new healthcare league tables

09 March 2016

The Department of Health has published the 'Learning from mistakes league', ranking trusts based on data on safety reporting and the NHS staff survey. The table splits trusts into four divisions: those with “outstanding levels” of openness and transparency, those which are “good”, those which have “significant concerns”, and those with a “poor reporting culture”. It is topped by Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust; followed by Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust; The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust; Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust; and Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust.

Being top or bottom of such a league must always be seen in the broader context


Saffron Cordery, director of policy and strategy at NHS Providers, said:

"It’s well documented that there is a strong link between staff engagement and improved quality of care and today’s announcement supports this through its focus on creating learning cultures and greater transparency. Trust boards are already committed to this agenda so we welcome this as one means of delivering safe, transparent and compassionate patient care.

“The information published today should be viewed alongside other measures including the CQC’s inspection judgement on safety, and consideration must be given to the different types of risk and case mix which different providers are managing every day. For this reason, while benchmarking information is always useful, we would question the added value of the league table format. Being top or bottom of such a league must always be seen in the broader context.

“Purposeful change comes from within and it is crucial that NHS providers are involved in shaping how today’s announcements are implemented at the frontline. The introduction of new measures such as this must avoid being about naming and shaming individual hospitals and be about helping providers maintain the highest quality care. The whole NHS system will benefit when those providing care are fully engaged – individually and collectively - in the process of performance measurement."

Read full press statement