08.11.10
New mortality indicator agreed
The NHS is changing its approach towards the way it registers mortality after experts agree a better methodology.
The change comes after a review into the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust which prompted some to say that something needed to be done to change mortality indicators.
Ian Dalton, who chaired the review as Chief Executive of NHS North East and is now the Director of Provider Development at the Department of Health, said: “This is a huge achievement – we now have a wide-ranging consensus not only on the best way to measure mortality but also on how this measure should be used.
“A high SHMI on its own is not an indication of poor standards of care but it is a trigger to take action. Hospital boards across the country have a responsibility to pursue questions the SHMI might raise and quick action will help to ensure safe care for patients at all times.”
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