Health written question – answered at on 20 October 2008.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health which comparable measures of the quality of acute patient care have been identified, as referred to on page 50 of High Quality Care for All, Cm 7432; what assessment he has made of the robustness of such measures; what plans he has to increase the accuracy of the measures included in the integrated national set; whether he plans to publish a draft integrated national set of quality metrics for consultation; and if he will make a statement.
A full set of quality measures for acute patient care has not yet been identified. Departmental officials, in partnership with the NHS Information Centre for health and social care have begun identifying measures from existing sources in the national health service, other health-related organisations and internationally. These measures have been informally assessed for robustness in terms of availability and relevance to a broad range of clinical care areas.
Further work on the usefulness and accuracy of such measures, including definitions and methodology, is required before indicators can be considered viable for use in an integrated national set. This work will be informed by further discussion and consultation with clinical and expert stakeholders.
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