George Eliot Hospital above average death rates for 3 years

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Source : Guardian

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George Eliot Hospital death rates 'unacceptably high'



A Warwickshire hospital trust has recorded higher than expected death rates for the third year running, according to NHS research.

Figures showed 20% more people died than would be expected at Nuneaton's George Eliot Hospital between April 2011 and March 2012.

Hospital chief executive Kevin McGee said figures were "unacceptably high."

He said the hospital started an action plan in January after an external review of its death rates last year.

The report was compiled by the research firm Dr Foster which said the George Eliot was one of 12 hospital trusts in England where death rates were higher than expected.

'Protect patients'

In 2011, the hospital had England's highest mortality rates when it recorded 1,024 deaths, 180 more than expected.

Last year, that fell to 997 deaths, 140 more than expected.

In the last five months, hospital mortality rates were 11% above the expected level, the trust said.

"We are obviously pleased with the improvements in mortality rates seen so far this year and it is testament to the efforts of all our staff, but we are still some distance from where we want to be," said Mr McGee.

"We always knew this wasn't going to be a quick fix, this is very much a journey both for the trust and the wider health economy."

Alex Kafetz from Dr Foster, said the company had passed its research on to health watchdog the Care Quality Commission.

He said: "For three years running we've been worried about George Eliot hospital.

"I don't know the reasons why the figures are still so high, but we're calling on the hospital to make sure they're doing everything they can to protect patients."

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George Eliot Hospital faces fresh inquiry into mortality rate

THE Medical Director of the NHS is to investigate mortality rates at Nuneaton’s hospital.

The trust running George Eliot Hospital is one of three Midland trusts facing a review of ‘‘high death rates’’.

It follows the publication of a damning report into failings at Stafford Hospital, which found that neglect and abuse led to hundreds of unnecessary deaths between 2005 and 2008.

Sir Bruce Keogh announced he was to hold inquiries into George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust, Dudley Group NHS Trust, which runs Russells Hall hospital in Dudley; and Burton Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Queen’s Hospital in Burton, Staffordshire.

A total of 14 NHS trusts across the country are now the subject of investigations.

Sir Bruce said the hospitals had been chosen because of high death rates - but this did not mean that they were unsafe.

He said: “These hospitals are already working closely with a range of regulators. If there were concerns that services were unsafe the regulators should have intervened.

“This will be a thorough and rigorous process, involving patients, clinicians, regulators and local organisations.”

Last year George Eliot chief executive Kevin McGee admitted mortality figures were “unacceptably high” after figures showed 20 per cent more people died than would be expected at Nuneaton’s George Eliot Hospital between April 2011 and March 2012.

George Eliot was named by research firm Dr Foster as one of 12 hospital trusts in England where death rates were higher than expected.

But last month Mr McGee said death rates were now within ‘‘expected’’ limits and that measures taken to tackle the issue were working.

David Cameron announced in the House of Commons last week that he was asking Sir Bruce to investigate hospitals with high death rates.

In a statement to MPs on the Stafford Hospital scandal, he announced that a new hospital inspection regime would be introduced later in the year and added: “In the meantime I have asked the NHS Medical Director – Professor Sir Bruce Keogh – to conduct an immediate investigation into the care of hospitals with the highest mortality rates and to check that urgent remedial action is being taken.”

The three Midland hospital trusts have all scored poorly for a measurement used by the NHS called the Hospital Standardised Mortality Ratio.

This measures the number of deaths that take place while a patient is actually at hospital. The figures are judged to be higher or lower than expected based on a range of factors, such as the type of patients hospitals treat.

If a hospital has a higher death rate than expected, it does not necessarily mean that it is providing a poor standard of care.