UNISON, the UK’s largest union, today welcomed a parliamentary committee finding that the Government should “move quickly” to rationalise the number of performance targets in health, education and other public services.
UNISON has long expressed concerns about the target-driven culture imposed on the NHS by government.
In a report released today, the House of Commons Public Administration Select Committee found that targets and tables hamper service delivery because there are too many targets which do not always measure the right things.
UNISON National Secretary for Health, Karen Jennings, said:
“Targets only look at outcomes and don’t show the progress or development made at local level.
“We welcome the committee’s recommendations to decentralise performance targets. It’s extremely demoralising for hospitals to repeatedly not achieve three stars when they have exceptional departments providing good care and good standards, and health staff who are working hard to deliver in those hospitals.”
ENDS