David Ruffley MP has today written to Chris Bown, Chief Executive of West Suffolk Hospital NHS Trust, seeking assurances on the quality of healthcare at the West Suffolk following the publication of a Healthcare Commission report.

For the first time NHS Trusts in England have been asked to issue a public declaration on how they have performed against the Government's core standards for healthcare.

The board of directors at each Health Trust declared whether they met the required standard in 24 categories (with 44 parts) including safety, clinical effectiveness and patient focus.

West Suffolk Hospital NHS Trust stated that it had 'not met' the following core standards:

• C04c. Healthcare organisations keep patients, staff and visitors safe by having systems to ensure that all reusable medical devices are properly decontaminated prior to use and that the risks associated with decontamination facilities and processes are well managed.

• C05a. Healthcare organisations ensure that they conform to National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) technology appraisals and, where it is available, take into account nationally agreed guidance when planning and delivering treatment and care.

• C11b. Healthcare organisations ensure that staff concerned with all aspects of the provision of healthcare participate in mandatory training programmes.

Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which covers Addenbrooke's Hospital, stated it complied with all core standards while Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust provided 'insufficient assurance' in five core standards and stated it had 'not met' two core standards.

David said:

'While I am delighted that the West Suffolk Hospital board feels it has complied with 41 of the 44 Core Standards I would remind them that the Healthcare Commission has stated that these standards are not optional.

'I have today taken the matter up with Chris Bown, Chief Executive of West Suffolk Hospital NHS Trust, to establish exactly what steps his Trust is taking to comply with the three Core Standards they have not met.

'The NHS in Suffolk is in a state of crisis and we must ensure that the financial constraints we are under do not impact upon the level of patient care in our County.

'It is simply scandalous that we will only be receiving 82 percent of the national average funding per head of the population in 2006/07.

'This Government says more money than ever is going into the NHS but it is simply not reaching the front line and our hard working health professionals are not getting the resources they need to do their job.

'I look forward to Chris Bown's response and I will continue to fight for a better deal for Suffolk health care.'