22 February 2002
Performance indicators for 2000/01, released on February 19, showed the number of people being rushed back into hospital within 28 days of being discharged had gone up in six out of ten English NHS trusts – to 10,000 in total. The situation had 'significantly deteriorated' since 1999/00, the report said.
Crisp said the alarming statistics, which emerged amid a picture of generally improving performance in the NHS, showed that the culture of 'openness and disclosure' in the health service was here to stay.
'Every hospital and health authority must take a long, cold look at these figures and take real action to deal with problems,' he added.
The data also showed that bed-blocking was still a problem, despite the £300m the government is pouring in over the next three years to try to free beds. Just over 6% of patients faced delays in being discharged because of problems locating care home places or appropriate social services.
But in other respects the performance indicators, which measured 200 trusts and 95 health authorities against 80 yardsticks, showed that many had raised their game. The number of people dying within 30 days of planned surgery had fallen, as had the 30-day rate for emergency operations. Meanwhile, survival rates for colon, lung and breast cancer all went up.
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