§ Mr. JenkinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what incentives are proposed so as to increase standards for the worst performing hospitals. [106508]
104W
§ Mr. HuttonThe Modernisation Agency runs programmes to turn around poorly performing national health service trusts with an average value of £250,000 per zero star trust. Their performance improvement team addresses failures around access targets, while the clinical governance team assists trusts who received an adverse clinical governance review. This support aims to enable NHS trusts to improve their performance rating so that they have the opportunity to benefit from a range of earned autonomy freedoms, and to apply for foundation trust status. This is part of the Government's Plan to raise standards across the whole NHS, as set out in the Department of Health publication, "Raising Standards Across the NHS—A Programme of Rewards and Support for all NHS Trusts", in December 2002.