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| Death 'lottery' in NHS hospitals | Death 'lottery' in NHS hospitals |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| There is a major difference in the death rates at hospitals around England, a report has found. | There is a major difference in the death rates at hospitals around England, a report has found. |
| Patients at the hospital with the worst rate were twice as likely to die as those at the top ranked hospital. | Patients at the hospital with the worst rate were twice as likely to die as those at the top ranked hospital. |
| The work by Dr Foster Research, an independent health information company, estimated 7,400 could have been saved if mortality rates were standard. | The work by Dr Foster Research, an independent health information company, estimated 7,400 could have been saved if mortality rates were standard. |
| But the Department of Health warned it was "impossible" to reflect a hospital's safety in one statistic. | But the Department of Health warned it was "impossible" to reflect a hospital's safety in one statistic. |
| We would strongly advise against patients using these figures to make decisions about the relative safety of hospitals Department of Health spokesman | We would strongly advise against patients using these figures to make decisions about the relative safety of hospitals Department of Health spokesman |
| Dr Foster, which carried out the study for the Daily Telegraph, looked at Hospital Standardised Mortality Ratios for 152 hospital trusts across England in 2005-2006. | Dr Foster, which carried out the study for the Daily Telegraph, looked at Hospital Standardised Mortality Ratios for 152 hospital trusts across England in 2005-2006. |
| This is a measure which takes into account the differences in the patients being treated at each hospital, and which measures unexpected deaths. | This is a measure which takes into account the differences in the patients being treated at each hospital, and which measures unexpected deaths. |
| The ratio shows whether the number of patients who died was higher or lower than expected. | The ratio shows whether the number of patients who died was higher or lower than expected. |
| The research took into account risk factors such as age, sex, social demographics, the level of deprivation in the area and whether a patient had any other illnesses. | The research took into account risk factors such as age, sex, social demographics, the level of deprivation in the area and whether a patient had any other illnesses. |
| Information for Wales and Scotland has only just become available and is not robust enough to reach conclusions, the researchers said. | Information for Wales and Scotland has only just become available and is not robust enough to reach conclusions, the researchers said. |
| Patient population | Patient population |
| Of the trusts analysed, 56 were found to have high mortality rates, 45 had low mortality and 51 were average. | Of the trusts analysed, 56 were found to have high mortality rates, 45 had low mortality and 51 were average. |
| Nearly all of them - 145 - had rates which had gone down over the past five years. | Nearly all of them - 145 - had rates which had gone down over the past five years. |
| The Royal Free Hospital NHS Trust in north London had the lowest mortality rate, which stood at 26% below expected levels. | The Royal Free Hospital NHS Trust in north London had the lowest mortality rate, which stood at 26% below expected levels. |
| The hospital said it was the second year it had come top in the mortality ratings. | The hospital said it was the second year it had come top in the mortality ratings. |
| But the George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust in Nuneaton had the highest mortality rate, 43% above that which was expected. | But the George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust in Nuneaton had the highest mortality rate, 43% above that which was expected. |
| The hospital acknowledged its poor rating, but said there had been problems in the way patient's illnesses had been recorded, which had affected their rating. | The hospital acknowledged its poor rating, but said there had been problems in the way patient's illnesses had been recorded, which had affected their rating. |
| Dr Peter Handslip, the trust's medical director, said: "Systems are now in place to ensure that every aspect of a patient's care is recorded on the appropriate forms, which in turn has helped to significantly reduce the trust's mortality rate in just a few months." | Dr Peter Handslip, the trust's medical director, said: "Systems are now in place to ensure that every aspect of a patient's care is recorded on the appropriate forms, which in turn has helped to significantly reduce the trust's mortality rate in just a few months." |
| He added that the area had a high rate of heart and lung disease, plus an ageing population, which had to be taken into account when looking at the data. | He added that the area had a high rate of heart and lung disease, plus an ageing population, which had to be taken into account when looking at the data. |
| 'Special circumstances' | 'Special circumstances' |
| Roger Taylor, the research director at Dr Foster Research, said: "Now that people are being given greater choice over where they are treated, hospitals will need to reassure patients that they offer the highest standards of care." | Roger Taylor, the research director at Dr Foster Research, said: "Now that people are being given greater choice over where they are treated, hospitals will need to reassure patients that they offer the highest standards of care." |
| Katherine Murphy of the Patients Association said:" Patients looking at these figures will be alarmed to learn that they are more likely to die in some hospitals than in others. | Katherine Murphy of the Patients Association said:" Patients looking at these figures will be alarmed to learn that they are more likely to die in some hospitals than in others. |
| "It is essential that poor performing trusts should learn from the experience of better ones. | "It is essential that poor performing trusts should learn from the experience of better ones. |
| "The NHS is very bad at doing that." | "The NHS is very bad at doing that." |
| Nigel Edwards, director of policy at the NHS Confederation which represents over 90% of NHS organisations, said: "Variations can be caused by a number of different reasons from differences in local patients? needs to the very nature of gathering statistical information. | |
| "Where variations occur due to differences in quality of care, this report will help NHS trusts to identify where improvements need to be made." | |
| And a spokesman for the Department of Health said: "We would strongly advise against patients using these figures to make decisions about the relative safety of hospitals. | |
| "It is impossible to condense into one number the entire performance of a hospital in a way comparable with every other hospital in the country." | "It is impossible to condense into one number the entire performance of a hospital in a way comparable with every other hospital in the country." |
| "There are often special circumstances that explain apparently poor performing hospitals. Terminal care wards, for example, have a large number of extremely sick patients and they would expect a higher mortality rate." | "There are often special circumstances that explain apparently poor performing hospitals. Terminal care wards, for example, have a large number of extremely sick patients and they would expect a higher mortality rate." |