Health chiefs fear the worst over star ratings

Bosses at the West Midlands South Strategic Health Authority, which oversees Worcestershire's health services, fear two of the county's health trusts could be set to lose some of the stars they gained last year.

Authority chief executive Mike Marchment wrote to Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust acting chief executive Graham Smith to express his concerns.

In his letter last month, he said authority members had discussed the pending star ratings and made an internal estimate.

Difficult

"This indicated that the Mental Health Trust and Acute Hospital (Trust) might potentially lose a star," said Mr Marchment.

Both Worcestershire Community Health Trust and the acute trust currently have two stars out of a maximum of three.

But the acute trust has had a difficult year, falling more than £8m in debt and being criticised by the Commission for Health Improvement, the independent inspection body that decides the star ratings.

The new ratings, which will also affect South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust and Hereford and Worcester Ambulance Service Trust, will be revealed in the Evening News tomorrow.

In the Worcestershire Annual Review, carried out by the strategic health authority, Mr Marchment also expressed his concern about other aspects of the acute trust's performance.

Worried

He congratulated the trust for meeting its performance targets, but criticised the last-minute delivery.

Other aspects that worried him were:

The growing number of patients waiting longer than 13 weeks for first outpatient appointments;

Very slow progress in the introduction of operation booking systems;

Lack of financial control within the acute trust, leading to an £8.2m deficit;

Significant risks to the acute trust's financial plan for the current financial year, with £5.3m cost savings still to be identified.

However, Mr Marchment also thanked staff for their efforts in improving services over the past year.