Memorandum from Professor Maria Goddard
(FTM 08)
I am writing to follow-up the issue described
below by Professor Alan Maynard.
In trying to undertake independent evaluation
of the impact of FTs, we encountered some problems in the availability
of data from FTs. In the past, all NHS trusts have been required
to submit financial returns to the Dept of Health in a common
format (known as TFRs—Trust Financial Returns) and these
are available in the public domain. However, as part of the freedoms
given to FTs they are no longer required to submit this data.
As we were trying to compare the financial performance of non
FTs and FTs, this was problematic so we contacted Monitor to ask
whether the returns they collect from FTs would contain the appropriate
information. Although there was only partial matching of the data,
Monitor said that some of their returns would contain information
we were seeking but that they were unable to let us have this
data because it was confidential. Their suggestion was that we
seek permission from every FT in order that the data could be
released. As you may appreciate, that is rather time consuming
and not conducive to the conduct of independent evaluation. Ultimately
we were able to get the Foundation Trust Network to assist us
in getting permission but it was made clear that if we wished
to update the analysis with more recent financial data we would
be required to approach each FT directly.
It has also become apparent that the increasing
mis-match between the format and nature of the data provided by
the FTs and non-FTs makes proper comparisons impossible. In addition,
I understand that CIPFA has cut down the data series they have
usefully produced on Trusts over many years.
Our own rich series of data on NHS Trusts which
we have assembled in the Centre for Health Economics over many
years (covering input, output and process variables), which has
facilitated a range of useful research projects, has also fallen
down because of the lack of FT data held in the public domain.
As more Trusts become FTs, less and less information will be available
for research purposes. As FTs remain public sector organisations
spending public funds, it is worrying that independent scrutiny
of some fundamental issues is made difficult, or even impossible,
by rules that seem to protect them as commercial concerns.
I hope this is helpful.
Professor Maria Goddard
Assistant Director
Centre for Health Economics
University of York
September 2008
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