Trust provides good value for money

THE AUDIT Commission has given Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust the top level rating for financial management for the second year running.

Northamptonshire Healthcare’s Board of Directors will receive the 2008/09 Annual Audit Letter at its meeting on August 26. The letter includes the results of this year’s Auditors’ Local Evaluation (ALE) assessment, which assesses how well NHS organisations manage and use their financial resources.

The ALE assessment examines five key areas: internal control, value for money, financial reporting, financial management, and financial standing.

Last year, Northamptonshire Healthcare was one of only 14 NHS organisations nationally to score a Level 4 rating, the highest rating, in the assessment. The Audit Commission has again awarded Northamptonshire Healthcare a Level 4 rating for this year, confirming that the trust is “performing strongly”.

Audit Committee Chairman Robert Peto said: “We have focused strongly on improving both the quality of our services and our efficiency over the years and we are delighted that our performance ratings demonstrate how much we have achieved.

“This is a strong reflection on how we successfully plan and manage our resources and ensure value for money in all our services.

“Being efficient is important: we are spending taxpayers’ money and we have a duty to use that wisely to provide the best possible care for local people.”

Northamptonshire Healthcare employs more than 2,000 doctors, nurses, therapists and support staff. The trust’s total budget in 2008/09 was £105 million, which was used to provide mental health, learning disability, sexual health and drug and alcohol treatment services for people in the county.

The trust has met all its statutory financial duties every year since it was formed in 2001 and ended the 2008/09 financial year with a small surplus of £342,000.

The national publication of this year’s ALE scores will take place in the autumn as part of the NHS Annual Health Check quality ratings by the Care Quality Commission.