Dr Foster is an independent organisation that provides information about the quality and availability of health services. Dr Foster produce a variety of publications including an annual hospital guide which compares services and standards in NHS and private hospitals throughout the UK.

How Dr Foster Rates Plymouth Hospitals
The performance of Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust is above average in two key areas, according to the Hospital Scorecard produced by Dr Foster.The scorecard shows that we are:

Above average on quality	green
Above average on efficiency	green
Average on satisfaction	amber
Average on waiting times	amber

 
Dr Foster advises: "Don't get too concerned if your hospital is not green across the board; it is hard to perform well on all measures. No hospital managed to get four green ratings and only three trusts got three out of four."

The hospital also has one of the best mortality rates in the country, according to the Dr Foster Hospital Guide. The guide shows that Plymouth' s Derriford Hospital is in the 'best performing' category and has a death rate significantly lower than the average.

The hospital scorecard was published in December 2005. For more information visit: http://www.drfoster.co.uk