SURGEONS in Worcestershire are backing moves to publish league tables ranking them by their performance.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt believes there is “no valid reason” why data about consultants’ track records, including their patients’ survival rates, should not be made available to the public.

It is understood Mr Hunt has asked officials to draw up plans to publish the death rates of NHS doctors as early as next month.

Subject to legal requirements Mr Hunt wants every consultant to be obliged to disclose the details – with those who do not facing the prospect of being “named and shamed” by the Government.

But it seems it is unlikely to come to that at county hospitals including Worcestershire Royal and Redditch Alexandra.

Mark Wake, chief medical officer for Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, said doctors are backing the move and that it will be beneficial for both patients and healthcare staff.

However, he believes the publication must be tackled carefully.

“We welcome any opportunity to be open about our performance and provide patients with more information,” he said. “The data collected must be accurate. Reporting isn’t straightforward because the figures need to reflect the level of risk involved, and that’s different for each patient as well as each procedure.

“There also needs to be a provision for surgery teams who carry out procedures together.

“Overall, we do support the publication of this data and the information would be useful to both patients and the trust.”

The tables, which are a key component of plans for a more “transparent” NHS, aim to show how well consultant-led surgical teams in hospitals across England are performing against each other.

The Royal College of Surgeons believes Worcestershire’s willingness to sign up will be replicated on a national scale.

A spokesman said early feedback suggested very few doctors would opt out.

“We don’t have firm figures yet but the early indications are that the numbers consenting to this are very high,” they said. “There is no attempt to hide poor performance.”

The General Medical Council says any doctors looking to opt out should be held to account.

Chief executive Niall Dickson said: “We’re living in an increasingly transparent age where doctors are expected to be open about their practice.

“All doctors are now subject to annual appraisals – we would expect surgeons who do not join a national scheme such as this to be prepared to discuss their decision as part of that process.”

A Department of Health spokesman said: “Patients should be able to see how individual senior doctors are performing. That principle has been agreed for many years and has been successfully implemented in cardiac surgery.”