By
Gerri Peev
17:33 EST, 28 June 2012
|
17:33 EST, 28 June 2012
Check-up: Patients will soon be able to track the performance of their GPs (file photo)
Patients will soon be able to scrutinise the success rate of treatment by local GPs, including their track record on beating cancer.
Under the Government’s ‘open data’ plans, a ‘tidal wave’ of information will be released about public services covering health, education and crime.
As well as potentially life-changing information about local healthcare, it will also give parents the chance to judge schools beyond the usual Ofsted report and see additional data, such as which have the best records for getting pupils into universities.
The move – unveiled by the Cabinet Office today in a White Paper – is designed to make those working in public services more accountable. Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude said there would be a ‘presumption to publish’ information from departments and officials ‘from the Prime Minister down’.
Coalition ministers started revealing more about government spending two years ago when they began publishing all departmental spending over £25,000 and local authorities had to reveal all spending over £500.
Senior civil servants earning salaries higher than the Prime Minister’s have already been named on the data.gov.uk website, and residents have been able to see how dangerous their neighbourhoods are with the publication of crime maps and sentencing rates.
Mr Maude said: ‘Data is the 21st century’s new raw material. With more than 9,000 datasets covering crime, health and education up on data.gov.uk, people can now scrutinise local crime statistics, sentencing rates, school results, hospital infection rates and GP outcomes.
‘But we want to take this to the next level.
‘We will be publishing even more data that has the power to change people’s everyday lives.’
From the end of July, cancer survival rates will be published to give patients more choice over which GP they want to manage their care.
Such information will put pressure on GPs to ensure they detect cancers earlier.
Patients will be able to enter their postcode and see detailed comparisons between local clinics.
And there will also be a smartphone app giving GP ratings based on 11million responses from the Department of Health’s national survey, which asked patients questions such as whether they trusted their GP and how easy it was to get an appointment.
The White Paper on Open Data stated: ‘We will be unrelenting in our efforts to get more data out.’
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