Improved official rating for Vale of York health commissioners
Local health commissioners in the Vale of York have announced an upgrade in its official performance rating and welcomed the positive feedback from its national regulator NHS England.
Previously rated as ‘Inadequate’ in 2016-17, NHS Vale of York CCG assurance rating for 2017-18 has now been classified as ‘Requires Improvement’.
The evidence-based annual assessment is conducted by local NHS England teams and moderated regionally and nationally. The assessment focuses on six main components: Cancer, Mental Health, Dementia, Clinical measures, Finance (sustainability) and the Quality of Leadership.
The rating is based on improved performance delivery and demonstrates significant improvement in clinical performance indicators. NHS England has also highlighted the stabilisation of the local system’s financial position in 2017-18 and the role of the strong, clinically-led Executive team that is now in place and delivering this improvement.
Dr Nigel Wells, the CCG’s Clinical Chair, said: “Our review and reform of the CCG and the local health care system is putting an even brighter spotlight on clinical issues and good quality outcomes for local patients.
“It’s knowing what is important to the community that is helping us to transform acute services, strengthen primary care and improve mental health services. This, along with the step change to develop and deliver joined-up, integrated health and care and preventative health measures, will help us to reduce demand on more expensive interventions.
Dr Wells added: “Our establishment of three distinct localities representing local communities and their primary care providers in the North, Central and South of the Vale of York is helping to transform services and improve quality whilst responding to the views of these communities and we have reflected this in our Commissioning Intentions.
“The local health and care system is still in financial deficit but I am delighted that our clinically-led approach and the CCG’s achievement of an Aligned Incentive Contract with York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust will support the reduction in cost inefficiencies, duplication and unnecessary variation and help to ensure that the local system delivers its precious resources in ways so they drive improvement and help to achieve better value for money.”
In a spirit of partnership and collaboration, the new ways of working under this Aligned Incentive Contract will be monitored by a System Transformation Board, which will be co-chaired by the CCG and York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
Dr Wells said: “This is an exciting approach and I’m looking forward to working with our health system to deliver better health for our population.”
The rating has been published by NHS England at https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/performance/search
