----- Original Message -----
From: "ae_res" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, January 05, 2004 1:07 PM
Subject: Re: The 98% target
> My understanding after reading the DoH announcement on
> the website differs from both. From what I understand
> if you stay above 98% you don't have to report
> exceptions. The 2% being assumed to be exceptions.
> However if you drop below 98% you will have to report
> on exceptions to prove that you are not just failing
> to hit the target. So it will be ok if your department
> has 4 or 5% exceptions. Unfortunately it looks likely
> that you won't have that 2% margin for odd breaches
> that are not exceptions so will be worse off. As long
> as you stay above 98% it doesn't matter if 1.5% are
> exceptions and 0.5% are simple breaches, but drop
> below that and all 4 or 5% have to be exceptions.
Doesn't quite make sense either, Fred. You're suggesting that 98% is OK even
if the last 2% are simple breaches, but if you suddenly get 1% genuine
exceptions on top of that - dropping you down to 97% overall - then that's
no longer OK. I think you're correct in that you will have to report
whenever you drop below 98% but I suspect that, if by removing the genuine
exceptions you then get back up to 98% then that will be acceptable, as in
the "Bacon" approach: "It has therefore been agreed that, after allowing for
all exceptional circumstances, recorded performance should stay above 98%
from 1 January 2005." Anyway, if it's not formally clarified then I expect
there will be much room for local interpretation!
AF
|