'Cause for concern' over Scarborough NHS trust (From Gazette & Herald)

'Cause for concern' over Scarborough NHS trust

THE hospital trust for the district has been given a poor rating in the Government's new star ranking scheme.

Scarborough and North East Yorkshire NHS Trust scored only one star which indicates "cause for concern".

The trust, which has been at the centre of a waiting list fiddling scandal, was penalised for failing to improve the working environment for staff.

Trust chief executive Alison Guy said staff were continuing to work hard. She said: "We must remember that these ratings are based on performance for the year ending March 31, 2003, and it is well known that this trust has had difficulties, both with waiting times and with finances. Whereas the one-star rating probably reflects quite accurately where we were last year, as it is intended to do, I believe that we can look forward to a much brighter future."

Despite the rating of the NHS trust, the primary care trust for the district scored well.

In its first review, Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale PCT was awarded two stars.

Spokesman Michael Whitworth said: "After only one year with trust status, the PCT is delighted that it has already achieved a two-star rating out of a maximum of three. This is more than we had anticipated in our first year."

Elsewhere in the region, the York hospital trust was awarded the top rating of three stars. York hospital will be handed up to £1m and a second chance to bid for "foundation" status. The Selby and York PCT also scored three stars.

Performance areas for the rating of hospitals included emergency waits in casualty, cancelled operations, financial management, cleanliness, staff working conditions, inpatient and outpatient waiting times, total time spent in accident and emergency and waits for cancer treatment.

Meanwhile, ambulance bosses in North Yorkshire could face the sack after scoring zero marks.

Tees East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service Trust was one of only five ambulance trusts in the country to fail to pick up any stars.

Now managers will be given three months to draw up an action plan to drag up standards. If regional NHS bosses are not satisfied with the plan, the trust could be "franchised" - with new managers installed in place of the existing team.

Chief executive Jayne Barnes, who has been in the post for a month, said great progress had already been made in improving services from last year, when the CHI assessment took place, and work would continue.

The CHI said that the trust "underachieved" by failing to reach 75pc of emergency calls within eight minutes. Inspectors said it "significantly underachieved" in financial management, running up debts of £1m or more or 1pc of its total turnover.

Updated: 10:44 Wednesday, July 23, 2003