Outcome stats delayed
By Robin Stride
The target date for official publication of consultant-level performance measures has been scrapped following the failure of some smaller private hospitals to hand over all their data.
Instead, the Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN) will publish hospital performance measures only in April 2017.
Consultant-level performance figures, which around 14,000 independent practitioners had been told would be issued at the same time, will be delayed until next year.
PHIN confirmed that many private hospitals – including all the larger national groups and a number of NHS private patient units – had begun submitting data to it in line with the requirements of the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) Private Healthcare Market Investigation Order 2014.
The network will start publishing hospital-level performance measures on schedule, from 30 April 2017.
But it said all hospitals had still not yet submitted data and some data quality issues remained, as highlighted in its annual report last year.
It is now working for an end of April 2018 completion for publication of consultants’ performance figures.
A PHIN statement said: ‘The CMA has begun enforcement action to ensure all hospitals submit appropriate data where required. This lack of full compliance has an impact on the statistical reliability of measures to be published at consultant level.
‘As a result, PHIN has taken the decision to delay publication of performance measures by consultants until the data is sufficiently complete and robust.
‘The CMA is aware of PHIN’s decision and recognises the importance of ensuring the integrity of data published.’
Hospital-level measures to be published in April include comparative activity levels by procedure, lengths of stay and patient satisfaction. Other data, including adverse events rates and outcome measures, will follow, said PHIN.
Consultants can now expect to be invited to participate in data quality assurance later this year and to work with hospitals to improve data quality.
Matt James, chief executive of PHIN
PHIN chief executive Matt James (right) said: ‘PHIN is committed to fully implementing the information improvements required by the CMA, and we will be launching our new website with hospital performance measures at the end of April as planned.
‘However, the information we publish must be fair and based on accurate data, particularly where it is attributed to individual consultants.
‘We will publish consultant performance only when we are confident that the data provided by hospitals supports that level of detail.
‘The onus now is on hospitals to continue to improve the validity and accuracy of their data as we approach publication. Where hospitals are not yet participating, the CMA has taken important steps towards enforcement.’
Fiona Booth, the chief executive of the Association of Independent Healthcare Organisations (AIHO), said her organisation and independent hospitals were working closely with PHIN to provide data and prepare for the publishing of up-to-date quality and outcomes information.
‘Aligning the sector’s performance indicators and reporting standards with the NHS will improve transparency and help patients make informed decisions about their care,’ Ms Booth said.
‘We all realise the importance of getting this data right for the benefit of patients, and the independent sector and PHIN will continue to work collaboratively to ensure the data is robust.’
CMA responses to the planned fees timetable, from independent doctors’ bodies and others, were due as we went to press.