SOME SIGNS OF LOCAL IMPROVEMENT IN LATEST HEALTHCARE SURVEY

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 16th Jun 2008

"It would be so good if local people could regain confidence in local West Hertfordshire healthcare provision."

The latest Healthcare Commission report on self-assessment of the performance of health trusts indicates a considerable and welcome improvement in the performance of West Herts Primary Care Trust, although the PCT still fails to meet key government standards on hygiene and on staff training.

"Having been declared "weak" in the 2006/7 assessment and not meeting 21 out of 44 performance targets set by the Healthcare Commission watchdog, it is still encouraging to see that this year West Herts PCT assesses itself as not meeting the standard on only two items. It is one of the Trusts to have shown the most improvement and the management and staff are to be praised for getting the direction of travel right, assuming their self-assessment is verified," said Sandy Walkington, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for St Albans.

"This is of course a self-assessment by the Trust of its own performance which will be cross-checked by the Healthcare Commission. Sandy pointed out that "the Trust itself still admits to two areas where it continues to fail to meet government standards - ongoing failure to meet proper decontamination of reusable medical devices; and ongoing inability to give assurances that all staff participate in mandatory healthcare training.

"Given the concerns about medically acquired infections, I hope the Trust will put all its resources behind resolving the issue of decontamination. It can only do that if all staff are properly trained which is why it is also so important that it can show it meets the targets for staff development and learning," Sandy said

"The West Herts NHS Hospitals Trust also has a number of "ambers" in.its overall performance," Sandy observed. "I hope that the management of both Trusts will use this valuable benchmarking evidence to put resources behind their areas of weaker performance. It would be so good if local people could regain confidence in local West Hertfordshire healthcare provision."

ENDS

For more information please contact Sandy Walkington on 07802 177317

The link to the Healthcare Commission is at http://www.healthcarecommission.org.uk/newsandevents/pressreleases.cfm?cit_id=6477&widCall1=customWidgets.content_view_1&usecache=false