I have offered my support to the Chief Executive Officer of the Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) NHS Trust, and have invited him for a meeting with me. This comes after the new NHS League Tables revealed that OUH came 54th out of 134.
Whilst this does demonstrate some successes, it also shows room for improvement to ensure local patients receive the best quality of care. I therefore want to understand how I can support the trust in improving their services.
The hospitals in the trust, especially the Horton Hospital in Banbury, and the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford serve as integral points of service and care for local people within the Banbury constituency.
However, constituents often contact me regarding poor communication and difficulties accessing services and treatment – at all four hospitals within the Trust.
I am grateful that government investments into the NHS have delivered significant impacts in the area – with the Trust having been allocated a £10 million investment to modernise and upgrade services at both the Horton and the JR. This investment, intended to improve waiting times and the quality of care, is very welcome. I also wish to acknowledge the extraordinary dedication of NHS staff across the Trust, who continue to work tirelessly on behalf of patients.
Nonetheless, the league table offers an opportunity to drive up standards for patients. I would like to use this latest data to identify where I can assist in order to improve performance, and I am keen to work with the Trust to address any challenges.
The league tables deliver on a key commitment in the government’s 10 Year Health Plan to improve transparency, reward high performance and in intervening to address poor performance across the NHS. They will ensure that NHS investment delivers meaningful outcomes, greater efficiency and real value for patients. It will also aim to end the ‘postcode lottery’ in care, ensuring patients receive timely, high-quality treatment wherever they live.
I hope I will be able to use this data to support the Trust improve their ranking in the future.