Notes to editors:
How is the NHS performing? is the sixth of The King’s Fund’s regular quarterly monitoring reports and is published on 27 September 2012. For further information or to request an interview with John Appleby, please contact the Press and Public Affairs team on 020 7307 2585 (if calling out of hours, please ring 07584 146 035).
The survey of finance directors aims to provide a snapshot of opinion and is not intended to be a representative sample. Of 119 finance directors invited to join the panel, 45 were available to give their views, which were collected via an online survey between 16 and 30 July 2012. The majority of the panel were from acute trusts, with others from mental health trusts, primary care clusters, ambulance trusts and community trusts.
In June 2010, the target for time spent in A&E was eased from no more than 98 per cent waiting longer than 4 hours to no more than 95 per cent.
The King’s Fund is a charity that seeks to understand how the health system in England can be improved. Using that insight, we help shape policy, transform services and bring about behaviour change. Our work includes research, analysis, leadership development and service improvement. We also offer a wide range of resources to help everyone working in health to share knowledge, learning and ideas.