"This report shows major improvements in our hospitals, sustained over a decade. We have seen a remarkable fall in mortality rates, safer care for patients, fewer infections and falling waiting times. These achievements are a real testament to the NHS and should be celebrated.

"But some really knotty challenges remain.  We see inconsistent care between hospitals and inconsistent quality over the course of a week.  A big part of the answer is to change the way we deliver services, bringing them closer to home where possible and moving them further away when they need to be in order to provide the safest and best possible care. 

“This is clearly in the interests of patients if we want to further improve outcomes and get all hospitals up to the standards of the best.  The NHS should not be afraid to make this case for change, and politicians need to get behind the NHS. It’s the least patients deserve."

Notes to Editors

The NHS Confederation represents more than 95% of the organisations that make up the NHS. Its members include the majority of NHS acute trusts, ambulance trusts, foundation trusts, mental health trusts, primary care trusts, independent providers of NHS services, special health authorities and strategic health authorities in England; trusts and local health boards in Wales; and health and social service trusts and boards in Northern Ireland.

Contact Niall Smith 020 7074 3304, 07767 770309.  For out of hours media enquiries, please call the Duty Press Officer on 07880 500726.