Nurses to be rated on how smiley they are

Nurses are to be scored on how compassionate they are towards patients as part of a government plan to improve quality in the NHS to be unveiled in the runup to the 60th anniversary of the health service next month, the Guardian can reveal.

The health secretary, Alan Johnson, wants the performance of every nursing team in every ward across England to be measured, with the results published on an official website.

He believes putting a smile on the face of nurses and encouraging empathetic care is as important to recovery as the skill of doctors in the operating theatre. The proposal is to be announced in Manchester today at the annual conference of the NHS Confederation, the organisation representing NHS managers and trusts.

In an interview with the Guardian, Johnson said it was the first of several initiatives that will emerge from a review of the NHS that the prime minister commissioned from Lord Darzi, the cancer surgeon and health minister. Darzi's conclusions are due to be published a few days before the anniversary on July 5.

The compassion index will be compiled by health regulators using surveys of patients' views while in hospital, including feedback about the attitude of staff. It will also measure standards of nutritional care, minimisation of pain, hand-washing, and safety on the wards