Failing hospitals will be named and shamed in league tables and NHS managers will be sacked if they fail to improve patient care and gain financial control, the Health Secretary said.

Wes Streeting will tell leaders at the NHS Providers conference in Liverpool that “failure will no longer be rewarded” as he prepares a package of measures aimed at tackling underperformance.

NHS England will carry out a “no holds barred” review of NHS performance across England, with results to be made public in regularly updated league tables.

NHS trusts can be expected to be ranked on a range of indicators, including finances, service delivery, patient access to care and leadership competence.

NHS leaders hit back at the move, saying it could demoralize staff and accused ministers of being “lulled into the tempting idea of ​​a magic productivity tree that will make the NHS more efficient by shaking the magic tree harder”.

Under the government’s plans, persistently failing managers will be replaced and remediation teams will be sent to trusts that run large financial deficits or provide poor service to patients.

Meanwhile, those delivering the best NHS services will be given greater spending control to help them modernize their buildings, equipment and technology.

The Department of Health said there is currently little incentive for trusts to run surpluses as NHS trusts cannot benefit from them, but this will now change by giving more of this cash to the best performing trusts.

Mr Streeting said: “The Budget has shown that this Government is prioritizing the NHS by providing the investment needed to rebuild the health service.

“Today we are announcing reforms to make sure every penny of extra investment is spent well and reduce waiting times for patients.

“There will be no more turning a blind eye to failure. We will encourage improvements in healthcare so patients get more for what taxpayers pay for.

“Our health service must attract top talent, be much more transparent to the paying public and operate as efficiently as global businesses.

“Through a combination of investment and reform we will turn the NHS around and cut waiting times from 18 months to 18 weeks.”

NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said: “Whilst NHS leaders welcome accountability, it is critical that accountability comes with the necessary support and development.

“The comprehensive reform package developed with the government will empower all leaders working in the NHS and give them the tools they need to provide the best possible services to our patients.”

Mr Streeting has already announced that failing NHS managers will be denied pay rises unless they improve patient care or get their finances in order.

A new pay framework for very senior managers will be published before April next year and financial rewards will be given to those who perform well.

Saffron Cordery, deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, said the scale of the challenge facing NHS leaders was “huge” and that they were “doing everything to improve productivity while taking tough efficiency measures”.

He added: “It is vital that we take decisive action to tackle the deep-rooted causes of pressures on healthcare, including lack of resources for public health, prevention and social care, chronic workforce shortages, financial shortfalls and historical underinvestment in healthcare. ” The bricks and mortar of the NHS that underpin many of the challenges we face today.

“It is critical to take steps to address these root causes before any plans to introduce league tables and threats to ‘sack failing managers’ are put on the table.

“Trust leaders are highly responsible, held to stringent standards and, as always, ready to tackle the challenges ahead. “League tables bring with them serious risks of unintended consequences.”

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: “The possibility of more ‘league tables’ will concern healthcare leaders because they could remove important key information.

“NHS staff are doing the best they can for patients in very challenging circumstances and we do not want them to feel named and shamed.

“League standings alone do not lead to improvement. Trusts struggling with consistent performance issues, some of which reflect contextual issues such as underlying population health and staff shortages, need to be identified and supported to recover.”

Thea Stein, chief executive of the Nuffield Trust, said: “We know from specific measures in the quality regime that naming and shaming NHS trusts can make it harder to recruit staff, which does no good for patient care.

“It is not clear what the new league tables will measure; If you need to know how good heart surgery is, a chart based on overall wait times doesn’t add much.

“From social care leaving people stranded in hospital to roofs collapsing and public health deteriorating, many of the drivers of low productivity are systemic.

“They happen all over the UK. Which trust will be worst affected is often a matter of luck and history as much as leadership.

“We need a system that doesn’t reward leaders for choosing easier places to work, but encourages them to go to the toughest and most challenging foundations to improve patient care.

“Ministers have long warned the NHS against naive belief in the magic money tree.

“But they too run the risk of being sold on the idea of ​​the magic productivity tree that will make the NHS more efficient by simply shaking the magic tree harder, rather than changing the drivers of productivity.

“This can only lead to the NHS being forced to ask for ‘more, more, more’ and patients paying the price.” ​

Mr Streeting will also tell the conference on Wednesday how NHS trusts could be banned from using agencies to fill staff shortages such as paramedics and cleaners, in a bid to reduce the £3bn a year spent on agency staff.

NHS staff who leave permanent jobs may also be prevented from returning to healthcare through expensive institutions.

Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patients Association, said: “The focus on tackling poor performance and rewarding excellence sends a clear message about raising standards across the NHS.”