NHS leadership
Monday, 04 Feb 2008 09:11
NHS leaders should learn from mistakes in other trusts, report says
Weak leadership that focuses too heavily on chasing targets is affecting performance in some NHS trusts, according to a new report.
The Healthcare Commission's review of its 14 investigations into NHS trusts during a three-year period says there are a number of common themes in hospitals that are failing to perform adequately.
These include trust boards focusing on targets and mergers at the expense of other factors of care; poor leadership; ineffective management; and inadequate teamwork.
The health watchdog also claims that some trust boards do not have systems in place to ensure they are routinely informed of key information such as rates of infection and measures of quality of care.
Its claims are based on a review of the 14 investigations it carried out between August 2004 and April 2007.
These 14 were the result of 200 referrals about serious breakdowns in healthcare in NHS trusts.
Releasing the report, the Healthcare Commission said leadership of all NHS trusts should learn from the mistakes made by poorly performing trusts to ensure high-quality care for all patients.
inthenews.co.uk brings you all the key responses and comment on the issue throughout the day.
