CONTROVERSIAL hospital league tables published by the Government this week are causing confusion and complication according to local health bosses. In the latest attempt to move away from the secrecy traditionally associated with the performance of the NHS, the Government has published detailed tables for the first time.

They look at the quality and performance of health care provided by 100 health authorities (who buy health care on behalf of local people) and trusts (responsible for running hospitals) nationwide.

But health bosses say the figures could be misleading.

They claim that, because of the way different hospitals interpreted the criteria, inconsistencies are inevitable.

People hoping to skim through the tables and reach a conclusion about how Bury's hospitals are performing compared with other areas will be disappointed.

The tables, compiled over two years by the Department of Health, use assessment indictors ranging from mortality rates, key causes of death, waiting times and admission rates to the number of teenage pregnancies and infant deaths.

Health Secretary Frank Dobson emphasised that the tables should be used only to draw attention to areas that need further investigation or action. Bury and Rochdale Health Authority did well, coming in the top 25, in areas relating to how quickly elderly patients are discharged from hospital, mental health unit costs, prescribing rates, the number of patients waiting less than two hours at casualty, and how many operations had to be cancelled for non-medical reasons. The tables show that 99 per cent of Bury and Rochdale patients are admitted in under two hours compared with 52 per cent in Manchester.

But the authority performed badly relating to the health status of the local population, the number of deaths per year of people aged 15-64, and its management of potentially avoidable hospital admissions for people with asthma, diabetes and epilepsy.

It appeared in the list of the ten worst authorities for these areas as well as for the number of infant deaths and the number of potentially avoidable deaths in people aged under 65.

Bury Health Care NHS Trust was assessed in seven categories, ranging from the number of deaths per 100,000 patients within 30 days of emergency surgery, to discharge times of patients.

The trust did not fall into the worst ten for any of the categories.

Mr Richard Popplewell, health authority chief executive, said: "The indicators are an opportunity for patients and the public to become more aware of their local health service and to make an informed choice.

"We are making progress, but we need to make more headway in improving the health of local people, something which is being addressed by the Health Action Zone plan."

North Manchester Health Care NHS Trust did badly in figures looking at the the general health of the population but performed well in its readmission rates and management of hip fractures.

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