VerbatimParliament, as it happens

Hospitals: Standards

Asked by Edward MorelloLiberal DemocratDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled Answered 11 September 2025UIN 73713

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which hospitals are in the top quartile of most efficient hospitals.

Answered by Karin Smyth

The Department and NHS England do not measure efficiency by hospital. Instead, the NHS Oversight Framework measures National Health Service trust and foundation trust performance across a range of metrics. These reflect the delivery of NHS priorities, including performance against targets like reducing wait times for electives and accident and emergency, and improving ambulance response times.

The framework assigns trusts to four equal-sized, or quartiled, performance categories referred to as segments. This year’s framework, however, emphasises the importance of maintaining financial control by limiting providers to no higher than segment 3 if they are not delivering a surplus or breakeven position.

Segmentation under this year’s framework has now been published as part of newly developed league tables, designed to increase transparency and drive improvement. These tables are available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/nhs-oversight-framework-nhs-trust-performance-league-tables-process-and-results/

Verbatim has judged this answer against the question that was actually asked — answered, partly answered, or evaded. Sign in to see the verdict →

Open this question in Verbatim →

Every written question, searchable

155,000 questions tabled since the election, with the answer each department gave — and the ones still unanswered, with the clock running. Free to search.

Search written questions →Read on Verbatim