GPs and homes could be rated within two years

Ratings could increase accountability, help patients have better choice and could enhance performance for those that do not get the best ratings, the Nuffield Trust said.

At present there is a “real gap” in the information about health and social care providers available to the public, a report by the organisation found.

In November, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt commissioned the think tank to examine the effectiveness of “Ofsted style” inspections for hospitals and care homes.

The organisation looked into whether the NHS could use a grading system similar to that in schools.

It concluded that a “single summary score” of a hospital’s performance risks masking examples of good and poor care across different departments and wards.

But such a ratings system could be beneficial in “less complex providers” such as care homes and GP practices, the Nuffield Trust found.

Lead author Dr Jennifer Dixon said that there is information on hospitals but it is confusing and the public are “largely in the dark”. “There is a real gap,” Dr Dixon added.