ROYAL Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust has improved dramatically in its performance going from a rating of fair/good three years ago to achieving two scores of excellent this year.

The trust has achieved the highest possible rating of ‘excellent’, both for the quality of its services and for its financial management, in this year’s annual health check published by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) yesterday (15).

NHS Chief Executive David Nicholson and CQC Chairman Barbara Young, wrote to congratulate all trust staff, commenting: "This assessment has shown that your trust has sustained high levels of performance throughout 2008/09 across a broad range of standards and indicators covering issues that patients and the public have said are important to them.

"We want to acknowledge the achievements of you and your staff and thank all of you for all that has been done on behalf of patients."

The trust is one of only nine out of the 73 trusts in the London region that scored excellent for both their quality of services and financial management.

Just three years ago the trust only achieved a rating of 'fair' for its financial management and 'good' for the quality of its services.

The CQC health check is the most wide-ranging annual assessment of NHS performance that is carried out.

To do well trusts must perform strongly across a variety of standards and targets.

The ‘quality of services’ score covers areas including safety of patients, cleanliness and dignity and respect. Highlights of the Trust’s performance include full marks in its standard of care, safety and cleanliness, dignity and respect and keeping the public healthy.

The ‘quality of financial management’ covers areas such as financial reporting, management and value for money.

Commenting on the news, Bob Bell, chief executive of the trust, said: "This is a particularly welcome achievement in our first year as a foundation trust and reflects our determination to provide the best possible specialist care for our patients at all times.

"We set ourselves high standards in everything that we do and always seek to improve and innovate.

"Without the dedication of our staff this achievement would not have been possible and I know that they will find it rewarding to see their hard work being recognised formally in this way."