Hospital death rates published
The government has published a new set of clinical indicators giving death rates in individual hospitals in England.

Hospitals dismiss indicators
Many hospitals that appeared to have delivered a poor service under the new clinical indicators have dismissed the figures as inaccurate and misleading.

Tough tests for health authorities
The 41 performance indicators that measure health authority performance have highlighted regional variations.

Analysis: Why publish death rates?
BBC Health Correspondent Richard Hannaford examines what the public, the health service and the government can expect to get out of the new indicators.

What the tables mean
The government has published the first set of clinical indicators that aim to highlight areas where the health service is failing - but it is difficult to interpret the data with any certainty.

How performance tables started
Performance indicators were introduced by the Conservatives in 1993, but Labour has expanded them to include death rates.

NHS Performance 1999
The government published death rates at individual hospitals in England for the first time in 1999 - find out how yours rates.