High mortality rate in Medway hospital trust
Medway Maritime
Hospital
Patients in Medway are more likely to die while in hospital care
or after in-patient treatment than almost anywhere else in the
country.
Those are the damning statistics released today in the Dr Foster
Hospital Guide for 2012.
The Medway NHS Foundation Trust falls short of what's expected
in two out of the four key areas for mortality - coming in the
bottom 12 of all 145 English hospital trusts.
According to the report, patients died more often than expected
while in hospital care, and following hospital treatment - either
in hospital or in the 30 days after being discharged.
In the other
Kent areas, Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust fared as expected in
all areas; East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust
fared as expected in three areas, but better than average for
hospital deaths, and Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust fared
as expected in all areas.
Generally, the report said hospitals were understaffed at
weekends, but Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust was singled out as
one of only nine trusts in the country that had increased staff
numbers by at least two more senior staff members per bed since
2010/11.
The report generally highlights hospitals coming under pressure
from rising numbers in emergency admissions, particularly among
frail elderly patients.
But nearly a third of all hospital bed days nationally are taken
up by patients who might not have been admitted if their care was
better managed.
03/12/12
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