The NHS Outcomes Framework indicators form part of the NHS Outcomes Framework, which will:

• provide national level accountability for the outcomes the NHS delivers.
• drive transparency, quality improvement and outcome measurement throughout the NHS.

The NHS Outcomes Framework sets out the national outcome goals that the Secretary of State will use to monitor the progress of the NHS Commissioning Board. It does not set out how these outcomes should be delivered, it will be for the NHS Commissioning Board to determine how best to deliver improvements by working with Clinical Commissioning Groups to make use of the tools at their disposal.

Outcomes framework structure

The framework is structured around five high-level outcome domains:

1. Preventing people from dying prematurely
   This domain will capture how successfully the NHS is in reducing the number of avoidable deaths.
2. Enhancing quality of life for people with long-term conditions
   This domain will capture how successfully the NHS is supporting people with long-term conditions to live as normal a life as possible.
3. Helping people to recover from episodes of ill health or following injury
   This domain will capture how people recover from ill health or injury and wherever possible how it can be prevented.
4. Ensuring that people have a positive experience of care
   This domain looks at the importance of providing a positive experience of care for patients, service users and carers.
5. Treating and caring for people in a safe environment and protecting them from avoidable harm
   This domain explores patient safety and its importance in terms of quality of care to deliver better health outcomes.

• Read more information about the NHS Outcomes Framework on the Department of Health website.
• View the available data on our indicator portal.
• View the key facts from the Autumn release
• View the key facts from the April 2012 release