Trusts warned over fixing waiting times

pharmafile | October 31, 2003 | News story | |   

All NHS trusts will have to review how they report waiting times after a spot check found widespread distortion and fiddling of figures.

The Audit Commission's investigation found only three out of 41 trusts surveyed showed no significant problems, while a number of trusts were suspected of understating their waiting figures.

Sir Nigel Crisp, NHS Chief Executive, said: "Deliberate misreporting of waiting list data is reprehensible and inexcusable and we have made it very clear that serious consequences will follow any individual or trusts that seek to manipulate their performance data."

An NHS managers' code of conduct launched at the end of 2002 clearly forbids the practice, but many feel under pressure to meet the targets, which the Department of Health has made clear are the most important.

Last year a survey found that almost 1 in 10 NHS managers admitted to fiddling figures to meet targets on waiting lists and A&E waiting times.

Sir Nigel has ordered all trusts to check their systems by the end of June, with the most suspect trusts required to report back to him by the end of this month.

The Audit Commission examination found evidence of deliberate misreporting of waiting list information at three trusts, which have since suspended staff.

The Commission recommended that trusts need Board-level commitment, effective procedures and training and specifications for new IT systems to enable them to provide the necessary information.

It also found system weaknesses in trusts' record systems where electronic records were kept but not duplicated manually, effectively cutting off the audit trail.

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