SIGNIFICANT improvements have been made at North Cumbria's Integrated Care (NCIC), its CEO has said as an update to the Government's league table sees the NHS trust jump 10 places.
Chief Executive Officer of NCIC, Trudie Davies said that her staff should be "very proud of what they are achieving" at the publication of the latest leaderboard standings today.
North Cumbria was ranked 120 out of 134 trusts in the latest update to the National Oversight Framework (NOF) leaderboard.
NCIC has moved 10 positions up the rankings since the first publication in September, making it the most improved NHS trust in the North East and Yorkshire region.
Mrs Davies said: "The plans we have developed together are taking us in the right direction. It is good to see that the hard work of our staff is beginning to pay off in terms of performance.
"They should be very proud of what they are achieving. This is not just about numbers, it is about the quality of care we provide for our patients, and that is what matters to us most.
"Our waiting times for elective care are much improved, but we know we still have much more to do. Our patients still wait too long in our emergency departments, but we are confident that our £4m investment in staffing and facilities will create the right environment for us to provide the best possible care."
Leaders say the improvement in NCIC's NOF position is the result of strengthened performance across planned care, diagnostics and Referral to Treatment (RTT) pathways.
The uplift follows a sustained period of improvement, during which NCIC has been removed from 'tier 1 oversight' for RTT performance and recognised as the best performing trust in the region for RTT in quarter four.
Diagnostic activity also continues to improve, bolstered by the trust's new Community Diagnostic Centre in Workington.
NCIC has said its improvements have "a hugely positive impact on patient outcomes," which is particularly important in North Cumbria "where we experience high levels of health inequality."
The trust acknowledges that challenges remain, particularly in unplanned care.
A&E and Urgent Treatment Centres (UTC) continue to see about 11,000 attendances per month with long waits in the department.
However, the trust’s £4million investment in Urgent and Emergency Care, alongside the opening of the new UTC at Carlisle, is expected to support further improvement.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has committed to regularly publishing league tables for NHS trusts as part of a new phase of transparency and accountability. Trusts are grouped into four performance segments, with segment one representing the strongest performers.
Health and Social Care Secretary, James Murray, said: "Patients deserve honesty about how their NHS is performing.
"By being transparent about outcomes, we're empowering patients, driving improvement and ensuring every part of the NHS is focused on delivering the best possible care.
"These results show where the NHS is getting it right and where we must go further.
Mr Murray said: "They also recognise the dedication of NHS staff, including those in North Cumbria, who have worked tirelessly to deliver excellent care for patients.
"After years of underinvestment and falling performance, he said, "we're turning the NHS around — cutting waiting lists, improving services and rebuilding a health service people can once again be proud of."
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