South Gloucestershire | Archive | 2005 | July | 29
From the Gazette, first published Friday 29th Jul 2005.
HEALTH chiefs were left disappointed this week after learning that South Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust has been stripped of one of its stars. The trust lost one its two stars - awarded to PCTs for reaching Government targets - for failing to reach the target in treating patients at accident and emergency units.
Penny Harris, chief executive of South Gloucestershire PCT said: "Unfortunately the PCT, like others in the area, did lose one of the two stars it achieved last year. This is because the PCT did not fully meet the Government target of 98 percent of its patients being seen within four hours at accident and emergency departments at local hospitals." However, Mrs Harris insisted that some major improvements in performance had already been seen in hospitals and general practices since the beginning of the year.
Some of the targets the trust has achieved or exceeded include *Improving waiting times for appointments with GPs. All GP practices have been able to offer their patients a routine appointment with a GP within 48 hours, and with a primary care professional within 24 hours since December 2004.
*Expanding stop smoking services and treating more drug misusers. *Vaccinating 75 per cent of the population aged over 65 against flu last year, which was significantly higher than the national average.
*Providing 87 percent of children in South Gloucestershire who had reached their second birthday by 2003 with the MMR injection. Mrs Harris added: "Losing a star is disappointing particularly because the PCT has made enormous progress over the last year.
"However, I would like to thank all NHS staff in South Gloucestershire for their hard work and commitment and for the quality of care provided to local residents."
© Newsquest Media Group 2008