Page updated: 20 Nov 2009
Significantly improved performance by the NHS in Trafford
Trafford Primary Care Trust has significantly improved its performance across the board according to a nationwide report released by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) today (Thursday 15 October).
The CQC carries out 'Annual Health Check' assessments to monitor the performance of all NHS organisations in the 2008/9 financial year, using a wide range of criteria that includes safety, patient focus, access to care, amenities, waiting times and cost effectiveness. These are also all key areas that people in Trafford have told the PCT are their health priorities.
Specifically, Trafford PCT scored a good for its quality of commissioning health services and good for its quality of financial management, up from fair in both areas last year.
When it comes to the provision of healthcare services, Trafford was seen to have fully met all its criteria, an improvement from partly met in the previous assessment.
The PCT has received full marks for its performance in areas such as safety and cleanliness, standards of care, dignity and respect and keeping the public healthy.
Sheena Cumiskey, chief executive of Trafford PCT, said: “We are thrilled with these performance results, particularly as we've made such a significant improvement in comparison to last year, and also because they are amongst some of the best results for PCTs in the North West.
“However, that doesn't mean that we won't continue to work hard to strive for excellence in all areas and to improve our performance even further. All of our employees want to ensure that patients and the general population in Trafford get the best service from us possible."
Areas that Trafford PCT acknowledges it needs to do more work on, and that it is already addressing, include access to dental services, delayed transfers of care from hospital into the community and the number of deaths from cancer.
Trafford has opened five new dental surgeries since April 2009, providing access to thousands of NHS dental places and has been going out on the street to help people register.
NHS organisations and health service providers from across the borough are also working together to produce a business case for setting up an 'integrated care system' for Trafford.
This would ensure that patient care is received quickly and is fully coordinated between all healthcare professionals, such as GPs, hospitals, community nursing and social care.
An integrated care system would also focus on helping people to live longer, healthier lives to stop them getting ill in the first place.
To see the Annual Health Check results, visit www.cqc.org.uk. To register with an NHS dentist, contact Trafford PCT's dental helpline on: 0845 602 0708.