Healthy report for wide range of services

DENIS GIZZI . . . Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director at NHS Oldham CCG

NHS Oldham Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has been rated as 'good' in a national assessment of CCGs.

The annual review found 'good' performance across a range of services, including dementia, hospital bed use following emergency admission and primary care access.

The CCG, which is made up of GP surgeries across Oldham serving a population of 240,000, was awarded the rating from NHS England in their 2016/17 assessment of CCGs across the country.

The 'good' rating is one of four that are given to CCGs nationwide, including 'inadequat'e, 'requires improvement', 'good' and 'outstanding', based on performance indicators across 29 areas.

NHS Oldham CCG said the good rating reflects "significant efforts and dedication" of both staff and member GP practices.

Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director Denis Gizzi said: "Highlights of good performance include: mental health, children and young people, dementia, delayed transfers of care, hospital bed use following emergency admission, primary care access, 18-week Referral to Treatment (RTT) and seven-day services achievement of standards.

"We are two years into a five-year programme. It is encouraging, however, to find we are broadly on track.

"We are aware there is more work to do on a number of topics, particularly addressing injuries from falls in the over 65s and high quality care (acute, primary care and adult social care).

"We have action plans for 2017/18 to increase participation in national screening programmes for certain cancers (breast, bowel and cervical) and we are working towards earlier cancer diagnoses."

NHS Oldham CCG received a 'good' rating in the 2015/16 assessment, which found it was 'good' for quality of leadership, delegating functions, finance and planning. However it was told it required improvement in the performance category.

In the 2016/17 results, NHS Oldham CCG was joined by NHS Tameside and Glossop CCG who were both rated as 'good' according to NHS England.

Other providers also celebrating a 'good' rating were Heywood, Middleton, Rochdale and Stockport CCGs.