12.02.13
Hospital death rate investigation expanded
The NHS investigation into hospitals with high death rates has been widened to include nine others, bringing the total to 14.
NHS medical director Sir Bruce Keogh is investigating unusually high death rates based on hospital-level mortality data. Five hospitals announced last week had up to 3,000 more deaths than would usually be expected between 2010-12.
Sir Bruce 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.
“The purpose of my investigation is to assure patients, public and parliament that these hospitals understand why they have a high mortality and have all the support they need to improve.
“This will be a thorough and rigorous process, involving patients, clinicians, regulators and local organisations.”
The hospitals are:
North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust;
United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust;
George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust;
Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust;
Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;
The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust;
Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;
Medway NHS Foundation Trust;
Burton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
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