NHS targets to be cut, but star ratings will stay

Hundreds of NHS targets are to be scrapped in an attempt to streamline the way in which hospitals are assessed.

But the Government denied yesterday that it was planning to abolish the controversial star-ratings system for health service trusts.

John Reid, the Health Secretary, will publish a consultation document today which will propose reducing more than 700 NHS standards, targets and guidance rules to 24 healthcare standards.

Doctors and hospitals have complained for years that they are having to meet too many targets under the Government's reform of the health service.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said: "The consultation will look at ... existing NHS standards ... and see whether or not they all need to be there."

However, Mr Reid denied reports that the star rating system was to be abolished.

Star ratings were introduced in 2001 by the former health secretary Alan Milburn. The system uses 62 different standards to award hospital trusts up to three stars, depending on performance.

Top-performing three-star trusts get extra money, more freedom from central control, and the option of becoming a foundation hospital. Those which fail to win any stars are denied the bonuses and if they do not improve, can be threatened with the imposition of management "hit-squads".

Doctors have criticised the star ratings system for skewing clinical priorities and unfairly demonising some hospitals.

Mr Reid said: "Star ratings have led to improvements in NHS hospitals that benefit the public and have improved patient care. The Government is committed to ensuring that simple-to-understand, star-rating hospital performance information will continue to be published."

The system has been dogged by controversy since its inception. In December, Mr Milburn was accused of putting pressure on officials to move a hospital in Tony Blair's constituency from a two-star rating to three stars.

From April, hospital inspections and the star-rating system will be conducted by the independent Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection. Its chairman, Sir Ian Kennedy, is known to dislike star ratings

Tim Yeo, the shadow Health Secretary, said: "As a result of Labour's slavish devotion to targets, doctors and nurses have been forced - against their medical judgements - to distort clinical priorities."