Excellent rating for Rotherham mental health services

Mental health services covering Rotherham have earned a double excellent for the second year running.

Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (RDaSH) received the ratings in the NHS annual health check ratings, announced this week by the Care Quality Commission.

The Trust, which delivers a range of mental health, learning disability and substance misuse services in Rotherham, Doncaster, North and North East Lincolnshire and Manchester, was awarded the double accolade for the quality of its services and the use of its financial resources during the 2008/09 year.

Of the 37 NHS trusts in the country to be recognised as excellent in both categories this year, RDaSH was one of only four mental health trusts to be included.

RDaSH has been rated excellent for quality of services for every year since the annual health check came into being four years' ago.

The trust was also judged to have "fully met" the Government's core standards for the year and, for the fourth successive year, has scored excellent in the new national targets.

The quality of services section covers a range of areas, including, standard of care, safety and cleanliness, dignity and respect, keeping the public healthy, waiting to be seen and good management.

The use of resources aspect of the health check is measured against how well a trust manages its finances and achieves value for money.