Sustained improvement in NHS
On 3 December 2004, the Department of Health (DH) published the
Chief Executive's report to the NHS which shows that sustained
improvement is being delivered across the NHS:
- there has been a 12% reduction in the number of patients on
the waiting list - a 35 per cent drop from its peak six and a
half years ago;
- patients are getting treated faster - waiting times have
fallen across the board;
- delayed discharges from hospitals are down by more than a
third this year - 36%;
- the NHS is getting more efficient - productivity is rising
and better purchasing deals on drugs and IT are saving the NHS
millions of pounds;
- patient satisfaction levels are high - surveys show high
patient satisfaction with hospital, ambulance, mental health and
primary care services, and thousands more people are benefitting
from access to new services such as Walk-in-Centres, NHS Direct
and Treatment Centres;
- the NHS has a new focus on health promotion and improvement
- death rates from cancer have fallen by more than 12 per cent
in the last six years and from coronary heart disease by more
than 27 per cent between 1995/97 and 2001/03; and the NHS is
responding to public concerns with robust action plans to
address MRSA and the shortage of NHS dentists.
