NNUH rated best for value for money by Audit Commission

A new report from the Audit Commission has revealed the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital NHS Trust was in the top five NHS trusts nationally for value for money.

Every year the Audit Commission undertakes the Auditors Local Evaluation (ALE) of all NHS acute and primary care trusts. ALE scores NHS organisations on a range of criteria including value for money and financial management, and rates them from 1 to 4 with four being the highest possible score.

The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital NHS Trust once again received an overall score of 4 for the financial year 2007/08. The trust, now the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, was also top-rated last year. The Audit Commission report can be viewed at www.audit-commission.gov.uk

Acting chief executive Anna Dugdale said: “The best-performing hospitals are always built on the firm foundation of sound financial management and a culture of delivering value for money. It’s a tribute to all our staff that once again the Audit Commission has identified the Norfolk and Norwich as among the very best performers in the country.”

The Audit Commission reports that only five NHS trusts in the country were strong performers in the category of value for money. The report states: “There were still very few organisations assessed to be at the highest level. Just three PCTs and two NHS trusts were considered to be performing strongly:

• Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital NHS Trust (now the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust);
• Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust.
• Barking and Dagenham PCT;
• Birmingham East and North PCT; and
• Bromley PCT”

Only 14 NHS trusts in the country scored the highest possible overall rating of 4 under the Audit Commission’s Auditors Local Evaluation for 2007/08. The Norfolk and Norwich was the only acute NHS trust to have scored 4 for two years running.