The NHS Outcomes Framework for 2013 to 2014 has been published to help keep the system focused on measuring outcomes rather than targets.
It will be used to hold the NHS Commissioning Board to account for improvements to the health system as part of the government's mandate.
This latest version of the framework builds on the previous two versions of the framework and describes how it will work in the wider system, highlighting the indicator changes since the December 2011 edition.
The document stated: "Health outcomes matter to patients and the public. Measuring and publishing information on health outcomes are important for encouraging improvements in quality."
It said the revised framework reflected the government White Paper: Liberating the NHS, that outlined intentions to move the NHS away from focusing on process targets to measuring health outcomes.
Mike Farrar, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said of the government mandate: "We particularly welcome the focus on service change and the importance of delivering a clear evidence base.
"We would urge politicians to take this opportunity to start a clear dialogue with the public about why some local NHS services will need to change. It is important that NHS leaders and politicians explain clearly what they can gain from service change, rather than focussing on what is being taken away".
The NHS Outcomes Framework sets out a three-fold purpose; to provide a national level overview of performance; to be an accountability mechanism between the Secretary of State for Health and the NHS Commissioning Board regarding the spend of public money; and to act as a catalyst for driving NHS quality through cultural and behavioural change.
