NHS hospital funding in England to be tied to patient ratings, ministers say

Health leaders say financial penalties are not the answer, warning NHS faces existential threat unless it reconnects with public

Money for hospitals in England is to be linked to patient ratings, ministers have announced, as one of the health bosses tasked with implementing the government's 10-year plan for the NHS in the country warned it faced an existential threat unless it reconnected with the public.

The measure, under which healthcare providers could lose a proportion of their funding if patients are unhappy, is part of a package the health secretary hopes will incentivise investment in services that could prevent the need for hospital visits - and encourage listening to patients more.