The performance of individual cardiothoracic surgeons is to be published, in a drive to create a more open, honest, and patient centred NHS.

The plan is one of several initiatives announced by the government last week in response to the report of the Kennedy inquiry into heart surgery in children at the Bristol Royal Infirmary (BMJ 2001;323:181-2324:7331:189:1).

An independent office for information on healthcare performance is to be set up—as an arm of the Commission for Health Improvement—which will, by April 2004, release data on mortality within 30 days of surgery. Data collection methods have been developed by the Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons, which has agreed to cooperate with the initiative.

From 2005, results will be published annually for each heart surgery centre and every three years for each cardiac surgeon.

The 200 page report has taken over six …