News story

16th July 2003

MP Slams "Demoralising" Hospital Star Ratings

Northavon MP Steve Webb has today condemned the Government’s “crude and demoralising” star rating system, which has given a “zero stars” rating to all three NHS hospital trusts which serve his constituency. The MP said:

“The people who work at Frenchay and Southmead are committed to providing the best healthcare that they can despite a crippling cash crisis. To be downgraded from one star to zero stars on the government’s crude rating system must be utterly demoralising to hard working doctors, nurses, other medical staff and support staff.

"Although local residents do come to see me with concerns about the NHS they almost always praise the care that they received. Exercises like these devalue and demotivate the people who work in the NHS.

"The Government should end its obsession with targets, and should instead make sure that local NHS trusts have the money that they need to get on with the job”.
 

To read my newspaper column on this issue, click here.