This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Health Board performance reviews
01/06/2006
A round of public reviews of NHS Health Board performance begins next week and runs through the summer until September.
On Monday Health Minister Andy Kerr will chair the review of NHS Shetland, the first of 14 area-based boards and seven special health boards where Chairs, Chief Executives and Directors will be asked to explain how well their organisations have delivered over the last year.
Mr Kerr said:
"The NHS belongs to all of us. So it is right that those who manage the service on our behalf are held to account in public and I hope many people will choose to attend their own Board's review.
"Over the last year, Boards have made real progress in tackling our key priorities of cutting premature deaths from stroke, cancer and heart disease.
"And according to latest figures NHS Scotland is continuing to deliver on our targets to reduce long waits for patients. At the end of May we announced our best ever performance on waiting times, something for which hard working NHS staff deserve enormous credit.
"But as well as highlighting success, and giving credit where credit is due, I also want to use these Annual Reviews to tackle the tough issues, scrutinise local performance and drive forward further improvement.
"I have made it clear that I want to see an NHS which is better, quicker, closer and safer. These reviews will help us deliver that."
The timetable for health board annual reviews is:
- June 5 - NHS Shetland
- June 12 - NHS Dumfries & Galloway
- June 20 - Scottish Ambulance Service
- July 25 - NHS Lothian
- July 27 - NHS Ayrshire & Arran
- July 31 - NHS Orkney
- August 1 - NHS Lanarkshire
- August 7 - NHS Grampian
- August 8 - NHS Highland
- August 9 - NHS National Services Scotland
- August 10 - NHS Forth Valley
- August 14 - NHS Fife
- August 16 - NHS National Education Scotland
- August 22- NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde
- August 24 - NHS 24
- August 28 - NHS Golden Jubilee hospital
- August 29 - NHS Borders
- August 30 - State Hospital
- August 31 - NHS Health Scotland
- September 4 - NHS Tayside
- September 5 - NHS Quality Improvement Scotland
- September 11 - NHS Western Isles
The reviews will cover key areas such as: activity, delivery and efficiency, waiting times, regional planning, public involvement, finance and future plans.
Performance figures for NHS Boards showed that on March 31 no patients in Scotland with a guarantee had waited more than six months for inpatient/day case treatment or for a first outpatient appointment.
The number of outpatients with a guarantee who waited over 18 weeks to be seen was down by 69 per cent over the last year. Over the same period, the number of inpatients/day cases with a guarantee waiting over 18 weeks fell by 46 per cent. The new target is no patient with a guarantee will wait longer than 18 weeks for first outpatient appointment and 18 weeks for inpatient/day case treatment by December 2007.
The figures also showed that NHS Scotland achieved the maximum wait target of 8 weeks for heart investigation treatment (Angiography) and 18 weeks for heart treatment (Angioplasty / Coronary Artery Bypass Graft surgery)