Hospitals to reveal performance data

Hospitals will be required to publish survival rates for operations by the surgeon who carries them out under plans to help patients to choose more effectively where they have their care.

Under new rules unveiled today by the NHS Commissioning Board – which from next year will run the health service – both public and private hospitals will have to report data covering survival rates and quality of care for 10 specialities including cardiac, vascular and orthopaedic surgery.

The details will be broken down by consultant – and will also cover the performance of the junior doctors working under their guidance. It will begin being published by next summer. The information will be made freely available.

The move was announced as part of the board's plan to improve healthcare across the NHS for the first two years' operation.

Among other initiatives:

* All patients will have the opportunity to leave feedback, in real time, on any NHS service, by 2015. Hospitals and GPs will have to demonstrate that they have responded to criticism.

* The NHS will move to operating "seven days a week" with appointments and operations being made available at weekends.

* New commissioning bodies will be expected to make quantifiable improvements in five areas including preventing people from dying prematurely; enhancing quality of life for people with long-term conditions; and helping people to recover from injury.