New NHS Acute Trust League Tables: What they reveal about patient safety and performance

NHS England has just released its latest Acute Trust League Tables, offering unprecedented transparency into how hospitals across England are performing in key areas of patient care. These rankings form part of the NHS Oversight Framework 2025/26, which aims to improve accountability and support across the health system. 

What are the League Tables?

The league tables rank acute NHS trusts based on Aggregated Metric Rankings (AMR), which assess performance across urgent and emergency care, elective services, diagnostics, cancer treatment, and more. Trusts are also segmented into four categories, with Segment 1 representing the highest-performing organisations and Segment 4 indicating those facing significant challenges.

Top performers and those falling behind

Among the top-ranked trusts are:

• Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (Rank 1, AMR Score: 1.39)
• Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust (Rank 2, Score: 1.48)
• The Christie NHS Foundation Trust (Rank 3, Score: 1.51)

These specialist trusts have consistently demonstrated excellence in clinical outcomes, patient experience, and operational efficiency.

However, the data also highlights trusts that are struggling. For example:

• University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust ranks 108th with an AMR score of 2.64
• Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust ranks 100th with an AMR score of 2.59
• University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust ranks 83rd with an AMR score of 2.47
• Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust ranks 109th with an AMR score of 2.66

These lower rankings may reflect issues such as long waiting times, poor patient outcomes, or financial deficits. Trusts in Segment 4 are expected to receive tailored support through the Recovery Support Programme.