Good and bad news in new health ratings

The trust, responsible for delivering community-based health services like GPs and community nurses, joins Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust in the list of health organisations dubbed 'weak', with the Ambulance Service criticised for its use of resources.

But there was good news too in the Health Care Commission league tables which gave top ratings of 'excellent' to Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the city's five adult hospitals, and Sheffield Children's Hospital for quality of care and the ability to manage resources and finances well.

And Sheffield Care Trust, which manages mental health and disability services, was rated 'excellent' for the quality of its care and 'good' for its ability to manage resources and finances.

The commission examined all NHS organisations across the country and assessed them as 'excellent', 'good', 'fair' or 'weak'. Trusts were evaluated on issues such as safety, quality of care, their success in basic care and waiting times. They also had to show improvement in tackling national targets such as smoking and sexual health and demonstrate how well they managed their money.

Sheffield Primary Care Trust said despite its 'weak' rating it had met almost three quarters of all the targets and was tackling financial issues. It was 30 million in debt in 2006 but expects to balance the books by the end of the financial year in April 2008.

Chief Executive Jan Sobieraj said: "The PCT has undergone a massive transformation over the last 12 months which includes the merger of four PCTs into one PCT. We now have a solid financial base upon which to build for the future.

Andrew Cash chief executive of Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the Royal Hallamshire, Northern General, Weston Park, Charles Clifford and Jessop Wing hospitals, said the success was down to the hard work of staff in what is the largest foundation trust in the country.

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