News Release : 22 June 2001

ASSEMBLY HEARS THAT THE SOUTH EAST IS THE WORST PERFORMING HEALTH SERVICE REGION

The South East's Health and Social Care Performance a single integrated public health group in the South East were two of the main topics discussed at a recent Healthy Region Forum in London (Wednesday, 20 June 2001).

One of the key items on the agenda was a presentation by Bob Ricketts, Director of Performance Management, NHS Executive South East Regional Office (SERO) on the South East's Health and Social Care Performance. SERO, in conjunction with the Social Care Region, have created an atlas of the United Kingdom that maps out the NHS Peformance throughout the United Kingdom according to wide variety of criteria, including the number of patients on hospital waiting lists, the number of GPs in the area and GP referral rates.

The atlas revealed a number of shocking facts about the health service in the South East:

• A large percentage of the South East population are currently on NHS waiting lists
• Many of the patients on these hospital waiting lists have been waiting for longer than 12 months
• A large percentage of the South East health authorities have financial problems
• East Kent & East Sussex are currently finding it very difficult to recruit GPs
• There is a shortage of qualified nurses and midwives in the South East

The health care statistics used to compile the atlas were sourced from published sources or were submitted by statutory authorities. Said Bob Ricketts: "This atlas has the potential to become a powerful and constructive way for local authorities to scrutinise the health service."
Said Paul Bevan, Chief Executive, South East England Regional Assembly: "I found today's presentation about the South East's Health Service Performance very informative and revealing. This new 'atlas' promises to be a very important tool in helping health organisations in the South East to identify the problems facing the health service. Through the Healthy Region Forum, the Regional Assembly hopes to help the NHS work with other parties to find solutions to these severe performance problems."

The Forum also included presentations by Pat Dark, Senior Policy Advisor, NHS South East Regional Office on SERO's work with the Government Office for the South East (GOSE) to establish a single integrated public health group for the South East Region and by Lucy Hadfield, Director of Strategy, SERO on key recent developments and changes within the NHS in the South East Region.

Contact

Lesley van Dijk, PR Executive - 01483 555223

Alex Butlin, PR Executive - 01483 555221

Notes to editors:

1. The Regional Assembly is the “voluntary regional chamber” for the South East. It was established in January 1999 to give a representative voice to the South East region which covers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, and Surrey.
   
   
2. The Assembly is made up of 111 members including elected councillors nominated by the region’s local authorities and 37 representatives from other sectors of the community (including business, trades unions, education, housing, health, sports, culture, tourism, faith groups, environmental, community and voluntary organisations).
   
   
3. The Assembly has three areas of core business:
1. It is the representative voice of the South East, engaging and representing its member organisations and, through them, the wider public.
   
   
2. The Assembly has a specific role under the Regional Development Agencies' Act 1998 to ensure the accountability of the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) to the region.
   
   
3. The Assembly has been the Regional Planning Body for the South East since April 2001. It has responsibility for proposing strategic planning and transport policies to Government.

Last updated: 21 August 2007

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