02 December 2005
The Healthcare Commission launched the new era of regulation this week as it began to make sure that NHS trusts met basic standards.
As part of the new annual health review, which will replace star ratings, the commission will carry out spot checks at 120 trusts before the end of February.
Last month, all 570 trusts submitted draft declarations on whether they met the government's 24 core standards between April and September this year.
They include clinical and cost effectiveness, safety, governance and patient focus.
From April 2006 trusts will publish an annual declaration.
Commission chief executive Anna Walker said the visits would give the public and local authorities a formal role in measuring trust performance for the first time.
She said: 'Feedback from non-executive directors suggests that the process gives them the opportunity to look systematically at whether they are meeting the standards.
'This is encouraging for patients as these standards make a real difference to them.'
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