Primary care trust overview

Key targets

The key targets, including details of why the indicator is included, data source, the period of time assessed by the indicator, and the technical specification (construction), are available via the indicator links on the left side of this page.

The key targets are:

• access to a GP
• access to a primary care professional (PCP)
• drug misuse: treatment
• financial management
• four-week smoking quitters
• Improving Working Lives
• outpatients waiting longer than the standard
• patients waiting longer than the standard for elective admission
• total time in A&E: 4 hours or less

Balanced scorecard indicators

These indicators have been chosen to provide a balance across a broad range of areas.

The balanced scorecard indicators, including details of the rationale, the data source and the data period and technical specification (construction), are available via the indicator links on the left side of this page.

The balanced scorecard indicators are:

Access to quality services

• delayed transfers of care
• drug misuse: shared care
• NHS dentistry
• PCT commissioning of NHS Plan deliverables
• PCT patient survey: access and waiting
• PCT patient survey: better information, more choice
• PCT patient survey: building closer relationships
• PCT patient survey: clean, comfortable, friendly place to be
• PCT patient survey: safe, high-quality, coordinated care
• sexual health
• single telephone access
• six-month inpatient waits

Improving health

• cervical screening
• CHD register
• death rates from cancer, ages under 75 (change in rate)
• death rates from circulatory diseases, ages under 75 (change in rate)
• diabetic retinopathy screening
• flu vaccinations
• health equity audit
• immunisation: MMR
• infant health
• suicide audit
• teenage pregnancy

Service provision

• CAMHS
• child protection
• community equipment
• GP appraisal
• prescribing rates of antibacterial drugs
• prescribing: mental health - prescribing rates for drugs acting on benzodiazepine receptors
• staff opinion survey: health, safety and incidents
• staff opinion survey: human resource management
• staff opinion survey: staff attitudes
• workforce datasets: data quality on ethnic group

Clinical governance reviews

For the first year, information from the Healthcare Commission's reviews has been used in determining poorly performing (zero star) and high performing (three star) PCTs.

Clinical governance review (CGR) assessment levels and subsequent progress made against action plans for primary care trusts have been used in the 2004 star ratings, in accordance with the Healthcare Commission's Finsbury rules.

PCTs whose reports were published before 25/7/2003 have had their progress assessed unless they already had at least one level III assessment and no level I assessment (ie they were already eligible for three star status under the Finsbury rules).

PCTs whose reports were published on or after 25/7/2003, up to and including those trusts whose CGR visit week commenced 15/3/2004, have had the assessment levels in their reports taken into account for their star ratings.

There are two exceptions to the above. First, PCTs who participated in 'pilot' reviews did not have levels of attainment assessed and their clinical governance review has therefore not been used in performance ratings. Second, assessments made of NHS Direct services have not been considered when rating the host trust.

Combined trusts

Combined trusts, those that provide services in primary care as well as mental health, need to refer to the indicator lists for the relevant trust types and have been rated in each of these sectors (primary care and mental health).