The tables rank all 205 trusts in England on 30 measures including A&E performance, waiting times for planned treatment, finances and mental health services. They will be updated every three months.

Moorfields Eye Hospital in London tops the first table, while Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn, Norfolk, is at the bottom.

Trusts were given an overall score based on the measures and placed into four segments, ranging from the best performers in the first segment to the most pressured in the fourth. To allow fairer comparisons, they were also grouped into three categories – acute, non-acute and ambulance.

We’ve built a searchable table so you can see how your local NHS trust ranked. It shows the trust’s type, its performance segment and overall score, with lower scores meaning stronger performance.

The NHS said the league tables will be used to drive improvement, with the highest-rated trusts set to gain Foundation Trust status from next year. That would give them more control over services and allow them to reinvest surpluses in things like new equipment and hospital upgrades. Trusts in the middle will be expected to learn from stronger performers, while those in the lowest bands will get extra support and face closer scrutiny.

Under plans already announced, senior NHS leaders will have pay tied to performance, with higher salaries offered to those who take on struggling trusts and pay cuts for those who oversee persistent failings.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: “We must be honest about the state of the NHS to fix it. Patients and taxpayers have to know how their local NHS services are doing compared to the rest of the country.

“These league tables will identify where urgent support is needed and allow high-performing areas to share best practice with others, taking the best of the NHS to the rest of the NHS.

“Patients know when local services aren’t up to scratch and they want to see an end to the postcode lottery – that’s what this government is doing. We’re combining the extra £26 billion investment each year with tough reforms to get value for money, with every pound helping to cut waiting times for patients.”

Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation Matthew Taylor said: “Poorly constructed tables could mislead patients or invite misplaced scrutiny from politicians and the media. To be truly effective, league tables must be objective, reflect what matters most to the public, and avoid penalising high-performing trusts that are contributing to wider system recovery. Above all, they should support improvement, not undermine it.”

Featured image via Shutterstock.

The reservoir projects have been awarded the status “nationally significant”, meaning the planning process is escalated from a local level to the Secretary of State for Environment Food, and Rural Affairs, Steve Reed.

The last reservoir to be built was in 1992. Water companies have previously committed to bring nine new reservoirs online by 2050, in Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Suffolk, Kent, East Sussex, West Midlands and Somerset.

The Government will also legislate to streamline the planning process – meaning the “nationally significant” designation is automatic for projects like this which are “fundamental to our national water resilience”.

Anglian Water has proposed the Lincolnshire Reservoir, which is to the south of Sleaford, with the aim of becoming operational by 2040. They say it will provide up to 166 million litres of water daily for up to 500,000 homes. They have also partnered with Cambridge Water to propose the Fens Reservoir, located between the towns of Chatteris and March. Set to be completed in 2036, it will supply 87 million litres to 250,000 homes in the driest region of the UK.

Both projects will now progress to the consultation phase.

Water Minister Emma Hardy said: “Today we are backing the builders not the blockers, intervening in the national interest and slashing red tape to make the planning process faster to unblock nine new reservoirs.

“This Government will secure our water supply for future generations and unlock the building of thousands of homes as part of the Plan for Change.”

David Black, Chief Executive of Ofwat said “We welcome the clear focus the Government is placing upon accelerating the delivery of supply and resilience schemes that will meet our future water needs and support economic growth. Alongside the £2 billion of development funding announced at our 2024 Price Review, this will help us to deliver the largest programme of major water infrastructure projects – including nine new reservoirs – seen in decades.”

Victoria Atkins MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said: “Faced with the consequences of their own reckless farming policy and inability to manage immigration, it’s no surprise that Labour has resorted to a hastily timed announcement during recess on water supplies running low.

“The last Conservative government left behind a robust, coherent plan to safeguard food security and reduce net migration by more than half. Labour has chosen to abandon those plans and in doing so, it has surrendered control over both our rural community and our borders.

“Labour’s admission of failure on immigration will have serious repercussions for our rural communities. They are now using population pressures as a pretext to concrete over the green belt and hand sweeping powers to quangos.”

Set to open in 2031, the 476-acre development will mark Universal’s first theme park and resort in Europe. It is expected to generate a £50 billion boost to the UK economy by 2055 and attract approximately 8 million visitors in its opening year.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the park will create nearly 20,000 jobs during the construction phase, with an additional 8,000 jobs in the hospitality and creative sectors once it opens.

“It’s not just about the numbers; it’s about creating real opportunities for people across our country,” adding that Universal’s investment will make Bedford “home to one of the biggest entertainment parks in Europe, firmly putting the county on the global stage”.

Under the proposed plans, the government says the resort will include “immersive storytelling, thrilling rides, innovative attractions and exciting entertainment”, as well as a 500-room hotel and a retail, dining and entertainment complex.

The proposals remain subject to a planning decision from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, with construction to start in 2026 if approved.

Nearby residents have been sent a letter by Universal, stating the announcement and timeline, with construction expected to begin in 2026 if planning permission is approved pic.twitter.com/41vN3Af2Ie

— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) April 8, 2025

Mike Cavanagh, president of Comcast Corporation – the owner of Universal – praised the government’s role in securing the deal, saying the company appreciated the “leadership and support” of Keir Starmer, Chancellor Rachel Reeves, Minister for Investment Poppy Gustafsson and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy.

“We could not be more excited to take this very important step in our plan to create and deliver an incredible Universal theme park and resort in the heart of the United Kingdom,” he added.

The project will also deliver a boost to the regional economy, with around 80 per cent of the workforce expected to come from Bedfordshire and surrounding areas. Infrastructure upgrades are also planned, including a new A421 slip road and an expansion of Wixams station to improve transport links. The theme park resort will be built on the former Kempston Hardwick brickworks.

Shadow Business and Trade Secretary Andrew Griffith welcomed the investment, calling it “a major opportunity to boost economic growth and attract private sector investment”.

He added: “That’s why the Conservative government worked closely with Universal Studios to secure the land and help bring forward plans for the new park.

“We’re pleased that, despite Labour’s economic mismanagement, Universal Studios has committed to investing in Bedfordshire. But Labour’s punishing jobs tax – which will cost every working household £3,500 – and their job-destroying Employment Rights Bill risk putting this transformative project in jeopardy.”

Universal, known for producing films like Minions and Wicked, currently operates theme parks in Orlando and Los Angeles in the US, as well as in Japan, Singapore and China.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said that at a time of “global change”, the company’s investment “is a vote of confidence in Britain as a place to do business”.

In the third round of voting by Tory MPs, the contenders received the following votes:

• James Cleverly, 39

• Robert Jenrick, 31

• Kemi Badenoch, 30

• Tom Tugendaht, 20

MPs will vote again tomorrow to select the final two candidates, who Tory members will then vote on. The new leader will be announced on Saturday 2 November.

In this round, Cleverly led the way with a whopping eighteen more votes compared to the last time, with Badenoch gaining two. Meanwhile, Jenrick lost two votes, and Tugendhat lost one vote.

Tugendhat thanked those who backed him in a post on X, adding: “Your energy, your ideas and your support have shown a vision of what our party could become.

“Our campaign has ended but our commitment to our country continues.”

All four contenders – Kemi Badenoch, James Cleverly, Robert Jenrick, and Tom Tugendhat – presented their cases to party members at the Conservative conference in Birmingham.

Cleverly, who had a slow start in the race, gained traction following a well-received speech at the conference, whereas Badenoch’s campaign was hindered by her divisive comments, such as saying maternity pay was “excessive” and the minimum wage was “harming businesses”.

Jenrick was broadly viewed as a leading candidate until now, while Tugendhat, despite receiving a positive response from party members in Birmingham, continued to be seen as the underdog and is therefore out of the race.

In his second attempt at becoming Tory leader after his 2022 bid, he positioned himself as a reliable leader who could restore the Tory party’s credibility following its historic defeat in the general election by uniting the party and regaining public trust.

Former home secretary Priti Patel went out in the first round of voting by Tory MPs in September, followed by former work and pensions secretary Mel Stride the week after.

This suspension affects components for military aircraft, including fighter jets, helicopters, and drones.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: “Facing a conflict such as this, it is this government’s legal duty to review Britain’s export licences.

“It is with regret that I inform the House today the assessment I have received leaves me unable to conclude anything other than that for certain UK arms exports to Israel, there does exist a clear risk that they might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law.”

According to the Foreign Office, the two-month review, which was ordered by Labour when they took office on 5 July, raised concerns regarding Israel’s actions during the Gaza conflict.

While no definitive conclusion has been drawn about the role of UK arms export licenses in the destruction within the region, the Foreign Office expressed deep concern over the extensive destruction and high number of civilian casualties.

Officials stress that this is not an arms embargo and that the government’s assessment is not intended to influence the outcomes of investigations by international courts, such as the ICJ and ICC.

Mr Lammy added that the decision will be kept under review and ‘the UK continues to support Israel’s right to self-defence in accordance with international law’.

“This is a forward-looking evaluation, not a determination of innocence or guilt,” he added.

Shadow foreign secretary Andrew Mitchell said he will ‘look carefully’ at the limited embargo that has been announced.

The government has faced increasing pressure to adopt a firmer position against Israel during the conflict in Gaza.

While the UK does not directly supply weapons to Israel, it does issue export licenses that allow British companies to sell arms to the nation.

She argued that the party needs to ‘reboot, reset, and rewire,’ accusing previous leaders of having ‘talked right but governed left’. 

In her first major ‘Renewal 2030’ speech in London, Badenoch voiced concerns about the recent election of five ‘sectarian Islamist’ MPs, including Jeremy Corbyn, who unseated Labour in July.

These MPs announced on Monday that they have formed a new ‘Independent Alliance,’ making them the fifth largest party in the Commons. Badenoch argued that they embody ‘alien ideas’ that don’t belong in Britain and said she is ‘far more worried’ about them than the five new MPs from Reform UK.

Badenoch also spoke about immigration, stating she wouldn’t support an annual cap like some of her rivals, arguing that such targets have been ineffective in the past. She criticised other candidates for offering ‘easy answers’ and stressed the importance of fixing the system instead of making empty promises. She vowed to confront ‘hard truths’ and to avoid the political ‘spin’ she believes has characterised recent politics.

She also distanced herself from Tories advocating for the UK to leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which outlines the rights and freedoms in member countries. Critics, including Robert Jenrick, argue that the treaty hinders the UK’s ability to deport asylum seekers and curb illegal migration. However, Badenoch contended that leaving the ECHR ‘would not be enough,’ noting that other signatory countries successfully deport most of those they wish to remove. 

In a dig at Labour, she said the party has ‘no ideas’ and has announced policies that the Tories ‘have already done’, saying they are ‘clueless, irresponsible and dishonest’. 

“Their model of spend, spend, spend is broken, and they don’t know what to do, and this will only lead to even more cynicism in politics,” she added. 

Keir Starmer responded to Badenoch’s remarks by refusing to take ‘lectures’ from the previous government, which he said left the country with a £22 billion pound blackhole in public finances. 

“The country is in a real state, the economy has been badly damaged, nobody really argues in relation to that,” Starmer said. “So, I think that what the Conservatives could do was to apologise for the mess that they made.” 

James Cleverly and other contenders like Tom Tugendhat, Dame Priti Patel, and Robert Jenrick have also been making their pitches for leadership. Tory MPs will vote on Wednesday to reduce the candidates from six to five, with another vote next Monday to further narrow the field. 

From Monday, parents will no longer be told whether a school is outstanding, good, requiring improvement or inadequate.

This change follows the tragic suicide of headteacher Ruth Perry, whose school’s ‘inadequate’ rating was found to have played a role in her death. The government hopes the decision will ease pressure on schools and give parents a better understanding of school performance.

Under a new ‘report card’ system launching in September 2025, Ofsted will still inspect schools and provide detailed reports, but the overall one-word grades will no longer be used. School improvement teams will also be set up in every area early next year.

For this academic year, parents will still see the grades in categories such as quality of education and leadership. The Department for Education said that single-word grades don’t fairly reflect overall school performance and are only supported by a few parents and teachers.

Shadow Education Secretary Damian Hinds disagreed, saying that overall inspection outcomes are ‘vital’ for parents and scrapping them is ‘not in the best interests’ of pupils or parents.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “The removal of headline grades is a generational reform and a landmark moment for children, parents and teachers.

“Single headline grades are low information for parents and high stakes for schools. Parents deserve a much clearer, much broader picture of how schools are performing.”

Ruth Perry’s sister, Professor Julia Waters, said in a statement that the family is ‘delighted and relieved’ that the ‘long overdue’ step has been taken.

“The shame, injustice, and high-stakes consequences of an ‘inadequate’ judgement, together with the rude and intimidating conduct of the inspection itself, were the cause of my sister’s mental deterioration and suicide,” she added.