ST HELENS Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which oversees healthcare across the borough, has been rated as 'requires improvement' overall - a step up from last year’s 'inadequate' rating.

Bosses at the CCG say they are pleased with the upturn - but add that "significant financial challenges" are a factor in the rating.

The latest ratings, which provide a benchmark for CCGs across the country, were published on Wednesday, July 19.

As well as receiving an overall rating, CCGs get a separate rating for cancer, mental health, learning disabilities, maternity and dementia services.

St Helens CCG was rated 'good' for cancer and dementia services and 'requires improvement' for maternity, mental health services and services for people with learning difficulties.

A spokeswoman for the CCG said: "NHS St Helens CCG has delivered the majority of its constitutional standards although, like most CCGs, it has struggled to meet the A&E four-hour wait.

"Despite these challenges the CCG has continued to focus on delivering for patients and has a particularly strong performance in respect of dementia diagnosis.

"The CCG continues to face significant financial challenges which are a factor in its overall assessment rating."

The CCG say changes in the senior management team during 2016-17, including Professor Sarah O'Brien stepping into the Interim Clinical Chief Executive role, have led to "stronger leadership, more rapid decision making and a greater grip on finance, activity and performance".

Professor O’Brien said: “The CCG is pleased that the efforts and hard work put in by clinicians and CCG staff during 2016-17 has been reflected in this improvement in our overall assurance rating.

"I would also like to acknowledge the support of our local providers, local authority and other partners in bringing about this improvement and working with us to address some of the challenges.

"The CCG is not complacent and recognises there is more hard work to be done; however this represents an important step in our ambition to become an outstanding CCG by 2020 at the latest.”

Mike Palin, chief executive of St Helens Council, said: “Although the latest assessment finds the CCG to be requiring improvement,
this was to be expected given the severe financial position that the CCG
was allowed to find itself in in summer 2016 which resulted in an
inadequate assessment and the CCG being placed under NHS Directions

"As the latest assessment highlights, the efforts to establish stronger
leadership and improved decision making with a tighter grip on finance are now seen as a strength and these areas were of particular concern a year ago for, not just NHS England, but also the council. We welcome the fact that these improvements have been recognised and are confident the improvement will continue.

"Over the last nine months or so the joint work of the CCG, council and
other partners on health, social care and peoples service integration, has
received significant recognition nationally and the senior team of the CCG
have rightly been acknowledged to be a key part of the positive change
underway.”
 

The assessment found:

* 85.4 per cent of cancer patients are treated within 62 days of diagnosis

* Cancer patients rate the service as nine in a scale of 1 to 10

* There are 5.5 stillbirths per 1,000 babies

* 82 per cent of women were happy with maternity services

* In mental health, 50 per cent of people finished treatment and were moved to recovery