It has been reported that in an attempt to accelerate service improvement and efficiency to ‘better weather the tough times ahead’ the Government is planning closer links between hospital pay and patient experience.
Health Secretary Andy Burnham says a new payment system for the NHS will increasingly see hospital funding linked to patient experience and that over time, 10% of hospital pay will depend on patient satisfaction, under a package of measures unveiled in his five-year vision for NHS that aim to make the service more “people-centred” and “productive”.
In addition Burnham stressed that the system should not reward poor quality or unsafe care and that as of next year PCTs will be given the power to withdraw payments when “care does not meet the minimum standards patients can expect.”
Waiting times have always played a significant role in patients’ overall satisfaction with the NHS, and with the introduction of the 18-week referral to treatment programme, patients’ expectations are now higher than before. In light of this hospitals and Trusts have had to step up their game in order to meet patients’ and the Government’s healthcare expectations, and if PCTs are to be given the power to reward or remove funding based on the standard of care given, now more so than ever, healthcare organisations will need to be looking at ways to ensure targets for timely care and standards for quality care are met.
Many hospitals have turned to using business intelligence solutions such as Ardentia’s Pathway Manager to help them keep track of patient pathways to ensure targets are met. By using a management system to track and monitor patient pathways hospitals and Trusts can ensure they deliver timely care to their patients. Removing this burden from healthcare organisations lets staff concentrate on the important job of delivering quality care, helping them to avoid penalties related to underperformance.
