NHS Hospital League Tables 2025: Best and Worst Performing Trusts Revealed

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has for the first time published league tables of NHS hospital trusts in England, ranking the best and worst performers across A&E, operations, community services, and ambulance response times.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the new quarterly rankings aim to “end the postcode lottery of care” and identify trusts in urgent need of support. The Government hopes the system will drive competition and push leaders to cut waiting lists, reduce ambulance handover delays, and improve patient access.

How the NHS Hospital League Tables Work

Trusts are scored on multiple measures including finances, waiting times for non-urgent care, ambulance response times, and patient access. A lower score reflects stronger performance. Trusts are then grouped into four segments:

• Segment 1 – Best performing, with more autonomy and ability to reinvest surplus funds.
• Segment 2 & 3 – Average performers, encouraged to learn from top trusts.
• Segment 4 – Worst performing, subject to enhanced support and leadership changes.

Top 10 Acute NHS Hospital Trusts

1. Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust – 1.39
2. Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust – 1.48
3. The Christie NHS Foundation Trust – 1.51
4. Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust – 1.52
5. Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust – 1.55
6. The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust – 1.56
7. The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust – 1.57
8. The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust – 1.70
9. Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust – 1.74
10. University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – 1.80

Bottom 10 Acute NHS Hospital Trusts

1. Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – 2.93
2. Northern Lincolnshire & Goole NHS Foundation Trust – 2.93
3. Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – 2.97
4. University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust – 2.97
5. James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – 2.98
6. Medway NHS Foundation Trust – 2.99
7. North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust – 2.99
8. University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Trust – 3.01
9. Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust – 3.04
10. The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust – 3.35

Best and Worst Non-Acute Trusts

Top performers included North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust and Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. The bottom-ranked was Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust with a score of 3.34.

Ambulance Trust Rankings

The North West Ambulance Trust was rated best, followed by East Midlands and Yorkshire. The East of England Ambulance Trust ranked lowest.

While the Government claims the tables will improve accountability, health think tanks such as the King’s Fund and Nuffield Trust have warned against oversimplification. They argue that single rankings may not reflect variations within hospitals and could encourage trusts to chase scores rather than focus on broader patient outcomes.

From next summer, the tables will expand to include integrated care boards. NHS England says this transparency will empower patients, but the British Medical Association (BMA) has warned of “teething problems” and called for more doctor training places to meet rising demand.

FAQs: NHS League Tables Explained

What are NHS hospital league tables?

They are quarterly rankings of NHS trusts in England, measuring performance across areas such as waiting times, ambulance handovers, and financial management.

Which NHS trust ranked the best?

Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in London was ranked number one among acute trusts.

Which NHS trust performed the worst?

Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust was at the bottom among non-acute trusts, while East of England Ambulance Trust ranked lowest among ambulance services.

Do these rankings apply across the UK?

No. The system currently applies only in England. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have separate performance frameworks.