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INDEPENDENT AUDITORS REPORT TO THE COUNCIL
OF GOVERNORS OF ALDER HEY CHILDREN’S NHS

FOUNDATION TRUST ON THE QUALITY REPORT

RESPECTIVE
We have been engaged by the council of governors of
Alder Hey Children’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE
(“The Trust”) to perform an independent assurance DIRECTORS AND ERNST &
engagement in respect of Alder Hey Children’s Hospital
NHS Foundation Trust quality report for the year YOUNG LLP
ended 31 March 2018 (the ‘Quality Report’) and certain
performance indicators contained therein. The directors are responsible for the content and
the preparation of the quality report in accordance
This report is made solely to the Trust’s Council with the criteria set out in the ‘NHS Foundation Trust
of Governors, as a body, in accordance with our Annual Reporting Manual 2017/18’ issued by NHS
engagement letter dated 23/04/2018. We permit the Improvement.
disclosure of this report within the Annual Report for
the year ended 31 March 2018 to enable to Council of Our responsibility is to form a conclusion, based on
Governors to demonstrate that they have discharged limited assurance procedures, whether anything has
their governance responsibilities by commissioning an come to our attention that causes us to believe that:
independent assurance report in connection with these • the quality report is not prepared in all material
indicators. respects in lie with the criteria set out in the ‘NHS
Foundation Trust Annual Reporting Manual 2017/18’,
To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept which is supported by NHS Improvement’s Detailed
or assume responsibility to anyone other than the Trust Requirements for quality reports 2017/18.
and the Trust’s Council of Governors as a body, for our
• the quality report is not consistent in all material
examination, for this report, or for the conclusions we
respects with the sources detailed in Section 2.1 of
have formed.
the ‘Detailed guidance for external assurance on
quality reports 2017/18’ and
Our work has been undertaken so that we might report
to the Council of Governors on those matters that • the indicators in the quality report identified as
we have agreed to state to them in this report and for having been the subject of limited assurance in the
no other purpose. Our report must not be recited or quality report are not reasonably stated in all material
referred to in whole or in part in any other document aspects in accordance with the ‘NHS Foundation
nor made available, copied or recited to any other Trust Annual Reporting Manual 2017/18’ and
party, in any circumstances, without our express prior supporting guidance and the six dimensions of data
written permission. This engagement is separate to, quality set out in the ‘Detailed guidance for external
and distinct from, our appointment as the auditors to assurance on quality reports 2017/18’.
the Trust.
We read the Quality Report and consider whether
SCOPE AND SUBJECT it addresses the content requirements of the ‘NHS
MATTER Foundation Trust Annual Reporting Manual 2017/18’
and supporting guidance, and consider the implications
The indicators for the year ended 31 March 2018 for our report if we become aware of material
subject to limited assurance consists of the national omissions.
priority indicators as mandated by NHS Improvement.
We read the other information contained in the quality
• Percentage of patients within a total time in A&E of 4
report and consider whether it is materially inconsistent
hours or less from arrival to admission
with the other information sources detailed in Section
• Percentage of incomplete pathways with 18 weeks 2.1 of the ‘Detailed guidance for external assurance on
for patients on incomplete pathways at the end of the quality reports 2017/18’. These are:
reporting period
• Board minutes for the period April 2017 to May 2018
We refer to these national priority indicators collectively • Papers relating to quality reported to the Board over
as the ‘indicators’. the period April 2017 to May 2018
• feedback from commissioners, dated 23 May 2018
• feedback from governors, dated 17 & 18 May 2018

Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust 153 Annual Report & Accounts 2017/18