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NHS doctors have reacted with outrage to proposals put forward by Wes Streeting to implement name-and-shame league tables for hospitals.
The health secretary announced that NHS managers will be sacked if they cannot improve patient care and take control of finances in a fiery speech at the NHS Providers conference in Liverpool.
He warned there “will be no more rewards for failure” and NHS England will carry out a “no holds barred” review of performance across England, with the results made public in league tables which are regularly updated.
Trusts will be ranked on a range of indicators such as finances, delivery of services, patient access to care and the competency of leadership.
Health leaders have criticised the move, saying it could demoralise staff, and accused ministers of “falling for the appealing notion of a magic productivity tree which will make the NHS more efficient just by shaking the magic tree harder”.
Dr Rachel Clarke, meanwhile, described hospital league tables as “nasty, simplistic, retrograde and counterproductive” instruments, adding that they will create a “culture of fear”.
