Government launches new NHS Atlas of Variation

The government has launched a new NHS Atlas of Variation to help show regional differences in healthcare service performance.

Consisting of a series of 71 maps, the atlas highlights the amount spent on services by each primary care trust and links this to real-terms health outcomes, thus giving commissioners insight into how they can improve.

This follows on from the original NHS Atlas of Variation published in November 2010, which comprised 34 maps and has been downloaded more than 120,000 times, with 10,000 hard copies requested.

It is hoped that the new atlas can match this success and help to address issues such as the 25-fold variation in anti-dementia drug prescription rates across England, as well as inconsistencies in diabetes and heart disease treatment quality.

Health minister Lord Howe said: "This will help commissioners to identify unjustified variations and drive up standards so patients are receiving consistently high-quality care throughout the NHS."

This comes after health secretary Andrew Lansley announced last month that maps of local health services and GP practices are to be launched in the UK to enhance patient choice.