§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the star ratings system of performance monitoring in the NHS; what plans he has to amend the arrangements; and if he will make a statement. [123055]
§ Mr. HuttonThe National Health Service star ratings system is based on assessment of performance against key targets, other performance indicators and reports published by the Commission for Health Improvement.
Improvements have been made to the star ratings since they were first published in September 2001, with the inclusion of consultation exercises with the NHS when deciding new performance indicators. We expect this to continue when, subject to Parliamentary approval, the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection is established and takes on responsibility for the future development of publication of star ratings.