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Dr Foster hospital ratings highlight 'unacceptable' variations

30 November 2009 Breaking News

Patient safety is the subject of "significant" underperformance at 12 NHS trusts, according to the latest report from Dr Foster, the independent source of information about the performance of NHS and independent hospitals.

According to The Hospital Guide 2009, 27 NHS trusts have significantly high death rates. In total, 5,024 people admitted with low risk conditions died in hospital last year. Overall, hospital standardised mortality ratios (HSMRs) decreased nationally by seven per cent last year. However, seven trusts have had consistently high HSMRs for the past five years. As reported last week, Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, currently has a mortality ratio 31% above average. 

The report has triggered debate about the effectiveness of the government's own regulatory regime for the NHS with the Conservative party calling for a complete overhaul. The government has announced that it will launch investigations into a number of hospitals following the publication of the independent ratings.

Both major political parties are in favour of empowering the public to makes choices about healthcare by publishing more detailed comparative data. Existing sources of information include the NHS Choices website and Dr Foster's Guides. These can be used to assist private medical insurance (PMI) policy holders in making decisions about where to receive treatment. However, challenges remain for patients trying to compare NHS and independent sector hospitals.The Hellenic project - a portal bringing together data from all five major private hospitals providers - will enable patients to compare within the independent sector but not across to NHS hospitals.

Roger Taylor, director and co-founder of Dr Foster, said: "Over the last nine years of the Hospital Guide we have seen a steady improvement in hospital performance but unacceptable variation between hospitals still exists. Dr Foster will continue to publish data in order to provide information to the public, drive improvement in patient care and save lives.

"Hospital trusts should use the Guide to carefully investigate where problems exist, even those who have performed well. Patients and the public should use the Hospital Guide to help make choices about where they want to be treated, to ask the right questions of their health professionals and to hold hospitals to account."

The ratings are available online at http://www.drfosterhealth.co.uk/