Research Reveals Higher Mortality Rate Than Expected

A clinical negligence expert at Irwin Mitchell has demanded action is taken to improve services at three Yorkshire NHS Trusts after a study of hospital death rates revealed hundreds more patients than expected had died after receiving treatment.

In an analysis of deaths occurring in hospital and within 30 days of discharge, York, Northern Lincolnshire and Goole, and Hull and East Yorkshire NHS trusts were pinpointed as three of 14 Trusts in England where there was a higher mortality rate than usual.

The research revealed that in 2010-11 there were nearly 300 excess deaths at the Northern Lincolnshire trust, almost 200 at York’s hospital and more than 400 at Hull’s hospitals.
Commenting on the findings, Rachelle Mahapatra, a clinical negligence expert at Irwin Mitchell’s Leeds office, said: “This news demonstrates the serious need for services to be improved within these three Trusts.

“I would urge a review to be done to quickly help identify areas where treatment and care can be improved to make sure that mortality rates are as low as possible

 “I hope the NHS is able to react to this research and recognise the major importance of this issue.”