Two independent assessments of Barts and The London have confirmed that the Trust's hospitals rank among the best in the country for safety and clinical quality. 

 

Excellent rating for managing risk
An assessment by the NHS Litigation Authority – the body that insures the Trust against claims of clinical negligence – has assessed Barts and The London as Level 2 out of a maximum of three, with a 96% compliance score, for minimising the risk that patients will suffer harm during their NHS care. The NHSLA assesses all NHS trusts, to identify how well they are working to minimise these risks – only one in four NHS trusts achieved Level 2 or above. 

 

The rigorous assessment looked at standards of risk management throughout the organisation, including whether the Trust has implemented the necessary policies and procedures to ensure the safety of patients, staff and others. It included visits to wards, interviews with key staff and an examination of documentary evidence provided by the Trust. 

 

In each of these areas, the Trust was tested against 10 demanding criteria. For a successful assessment, the Trust needed to be compliant with 80% of these criteria. Barts and The London was found to be compliant with 96%.

 

"A Level 2 assessment is a significant achievement for Barts and The London and a great tribute to the professionalism of our staff," says Peter Morris, Interim Chief Executive of Barts and The London NHS Trust. "Our hospitals are famous for their safety and clinical quality and these latest assessments reinforce our reputation."

 

With the new assessment at Level 2, the Trust will receive a discount on its clinical negligence insurance.

 

Trust maintains excellent survival rate record
Publication of the Trust's survival rates on the NHS Choices website confirms that Barts and The London is one of the top hospitals in the country for survival rates. The Trust's survival rates are 15.6% better than would be expected, given the nature and complexity of the cases we see.

 

Survival rates are generally regarded as a strong indicator of clinical quality overall, and Barts and The London has maintained one of the best survival rate records in the country since the rates were first published in 2002.