§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what the methodology was used in determining the local authority social services departments' performance rating announced on 19 October; which social services performance assessment framework indications were used to make the judgments and how they were prioritised; when local authorities were informed of the judgments; what measurements of quality of provision were undertaken in addition to measurements of activity; and if he will make a statement. [11323]
§ Jacqui Smith[holding answer 6 November 2001]: The methodology used to calculate the top and bottom Social Services Departments was as follows:
A council was classified as one of the best performing if it was in the top one third of councils based on the proportion of indicators banded three or higher this year and had on average three quarters or more of its indicators banded as three or higher over the past three years.
A council was classified as one of the least well performing if it was in the bottom third of councils based on the proportion of indicators banded three or higher this year and had on average 55 per cent. or less of its indicators banded as three or higher over the past three years.
Banding of the performance indicators was introduced last year to help clarify what level of performance is generally good in relation to a performance indicator. Bands range from "investigate urgently" to "very good". Band three represents a council performing at a level which is "acceptable but with possible room for improvement".
This calculation excluded the three authority based interface indicators (A5, A6 and D41) in each year; excluded indicators that were not applicable for a council in that particular year; only included indicators for which data are available for that particular year, for example data for indicators C33 and E45 are not available for 2000–01 and therefore were excluded from the calculation of the percentage for that year; and included indicators for which data were missing (and therefore awarded the lowest band).
A list of the indicators which were included in the calculation of the proportion for each year is as listed. There were 32 such indicators in 1998–99, 34 in 1999–2000 and 43 in 2000–01. None of these were prioritised—each had the same weight as all the other indicators.
719WList of the indicators included in the calculation of the proportion of indicators banded as acceptable or better in each of the last three years
1998–99A1, A3, B7, B8, B9, B10, B11, B12, B13, B14, B15, B16, B17, C20, C21, C22, C23, C25, C26, C27, C28, C29, C30, C31, C32, C33, C34, D35, D37, D38, D39, E44.Total number of indicators: 321999–2000A1, A2, A3, B7, B8, B9, B10, B11, B12, B13, B14, B15, B16, B17, C20, C21, C22, C23, C25, C26, C27, C28, C29, C30, C31, C32, C33, C34, D35, D37, D38, D39, E44, E45.Total number of indicators: 342000–01A1, A2, A3, B7, B8, B9, B10, B11, B12, B13, B14, B15, B16, B17, C18, C19, C20, C21, C22, C23, C24, C25, C26, C27, C28, C29, C30, C31, C32, C34, D35, D36, D37, D38, D39, D40, D42, E44, E46, E47, E48, E49, E50.Total number of indicators: 43.Local authorities were informed of these judgments when the data were analysed just before my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's announcement on 19 October. The judgments were based solely upon social services performance indicators, not upon qualitative data. From next summer we will introduce star ratings based
720W
CT MRI: North West region—October 2001 Trust Hospital CT installed MRI installed Aintree Hospitals NHST University Hospital, Aintree 12001 No MRI Aintree Hospitals NHST University Hospital, Aintree 2001 No MRI Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Healthcare NHST Blackburn Royal Infirmary 1998 1998 Blackpool Victoria Hospital NHST Victoria Hospital, Blackpool 1997 1998 Bolton Hospitals NHST Royal Bolton Hospital 1996 No MRI Burnley Health Care NHST Burnley General Hospital 21992 No MRI Bury Health Care NHS Trust Bury General Hospital 12001 No MRI Cardiothoracic Centre—Liverpool NHST Broadgreen—CTC Hospital 2000 No MRI Central Manchester Healthcare Trust Manchester Royal Infirmary (neuro) 21995 1995 and 1997 Central Manchester Healthcare Trust Manchester Royal Infirmary (main) 21994 1995 and 1997 Chorley and South Ribble NHST Chorley and South Ribble DGH 1995 No MRI Christie Hospital NHST Christie Hospital and Holt Radium Institute 12001 1993 Christie Hospital NHST Christie Hospital and Holt Radium Institute 1999 1993 Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology NHST Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology 12001 32002 Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology NHST Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology 1997 32002 Countess of Chester Hospital NHST Countess of Chester Hospital 2000 1993 East Cheshire NHST Macclesfield District General Hospital 12001 1995 Manchester Children's Hospitals NHST Royal Manchester Children's Hospital 2000 1995 Manchester Children's Hospitals NHST Booth Hall Children's Hospital 12001 1995 Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHST Leighton Hospital 21992 1999 Morecambe Bay Hospitals NHST Furness General Hospital 21993 32001 Morecambe Bay Hospitals NHST Royal Lancaster Infirmary 12001 32001 North Cheshire NHST Halton General Hospital 21994 1996 North Cheshire NHST Warrington District General Hospital 21994 1996 North Manchester Healthcare NHST North Manchester General Hospital 21994 1995 Oldham NHST Royal Oldham Hospital 21992 1999 Preston Acute Hospitals NHST Royal Preston Hospital 21994 32001 Preston Acute Hospitals NHST Royal Preston Hospital 2000 32001 Rochdale Healthcare NHST Rochdale infirmary 1997 No MRI Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHST Royal Liverpool Hospital (A/E) 21994 1993 Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHST Royal Liverpool Hospital 1999 1993 Royal Liverpool Children's NHST Royal Liverpool Children's Hospital 2000 1994 Salford Royal Hospitals NHST Hope Hospital 12001 1993 Salford Royal Hospitals NHST Hope Hospital 21992 1993 South Manchester University Hospitals NHST Wythenshawe Hospital 21994 32001 South Manchester University Hospitals NHST Withington Hospital 12001 32001 Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHST Southport General Infirmary 21994 1994 Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHST Ormskirk and District General Hospital 21993 1994 St. Helens and Knowsley Hospitals NHST Whiston Hospital, Prescott 12001 2001 Stockport NHST Stepping Hill Hospital, Stockport 21994 No MRI upon all information about council's performance including indicator data, inspections and in-year assessments of performance. The indicator data give important information on performance showing where action may need to be taken either to spread good performance in service delivery or to turn around poor performance.