Andy demands Inquiry into Hospital Mortality Rates

Cllr Andy Morgan, Parliamentary Candidate for Bolton South East, has this morning demanded an inquiry into death rates at the Royal Bolton Hospital after latest figures revealed 18 per cent more patients die than expected.

The performance of the Bolton trust is ranked lower than Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, which was slammed for a catalogue of failings that led to at least 400 patients dying unnecessarily.

According to figures compiled last November and published in a Sunday newspaper, the Royal Bolton Hospital is seventh out of 10 trusts with higher mortality rates than Mid Staffordshire.

Andy, chairman of Bolton Council’s health overview and scrutiny committee, said: “I am shocked by these figures and a full investigation into the circumstances behind these statistics is needed.”

Hospital Standardised Mortality Ratios (HSMRs) are calculated with a complex formula that includes death rates and takes into account factors such as gender, age and economic deprivation of the area.

Figures from the independent health information firm, Dr Foster, show that the HSMR figure at Mid Staffordshire was at its highest in 2007 at 127, meaning 27 per cent more patients died than might be expected.

This has fallen to 116 in the most recent annual figures from November.

Ten trusts have scores above this, with the Royal Bolton Hospital at 118, meaning 18 per cent more patients die than expected.

The Healthcare Commission has not investigated any of the hospitals performing worse than Mid Staffordshire and the Care Quality Commission, which takes over from the health watchdog this week, reportedly has no such plans either.

Cllr Morgan said: “It is of great concern that the Royal Bolton Hospital has been listed in the top ten of the worst hospital mortality rates in the country.

“According to the statistics, those of us using the hospital are 18 per cent more likely to die than the national average which is completely unacceptable.”

A spokesman for the Patients Association said: “We are amazed that trusts could have these high mortality rates and yet not automatically face any action.”

The hospital says it has made improvements in standards of care to reduce the figure.

Original Article Published in The Bolton News on 30th March 2009 (both internet and hard copy versions). 

Please see the following link: http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/4244204.Shock_at_hospital_death_figures/