Latest news with #NHSFoundationTrust
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Britain's 'deadliest' hospitals: NHS Trusts where 'too many' patients are dying, official report shows - so where does YOURS rank?
NHS hospitals in England where patient fatalities are higher than expected have been revealed in an official report. Worrying data shows that some NHS trusts have recorded over a quarter more patient deaths than expected between March 2024 and February this year. Health service analysts said while this isn't a measure of poor care, records of elevated patient deaths serve as a 'smoke alarm' that can prompt further investigation. The NHS report said eight trusts had a notably higher number of patient deaths in the reporting period. Six were repeat offenders having these 'smoke alarms' sounding in the previous year's alert. And some of these NHS organisations have been flagged as having elevated patient death levels for about five years. The NHS England report is based on a calculation taking into account the number of deaths expected to be recorded in a Trust over a given period and the actual number. This expected death toll is based on average annual figures as well as the characteristics—such as age—of the patients treated. Patient deaths in the data include both those that die in hospital and fatalities that occur within 30 days of a patient being discharged. County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust recorded about 26 per cent more deaths than expected in the NHS report, with 3,320 fatalities compared to 2,645 predicted. This was highest level of any trust in the country. Site specific data for the trust recorded almost 30 per cent higher deaths than expected at the Trust's University Hospital of North Durham. The Trust was one of those flagged by a MailOnline analysis last month as having an abnormal level of deaths for at least six consecutive months. County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust was one of the six NHS trusts the report noted as also having an elevated number of patient deaths in the previous report for March 2023 to February 2024. The other five were East Lancashire Hospitals NHS, Medway NHS Foundation Trust, East Cheshire NHS Trust, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital has had an elevated level of patient deaths every month since March 2020, when Covid kicked off. The two other trusts identified as having elevated patient deaths were University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust and University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust. In total, the NHS in England recorded 291,000 patient deaths in its report, a slight drop from the 292,000 recorded the report covering the equivalent period the year prior. While the majority of trusts recorded higher—or an as expected—number of patient deaths, 11 had a lower than expected number. Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in London recorded the largest gap with 28.5 per cent fewer deaths than precited—2,165 compared to 3,030. This was followed by Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust with 27.3 per cent fewer deaths and Kingston and Richmond NHS Foundation Trust with 27.1 per cent fewer fatalities. Patient deaths recorded in the report aren't necessarily avoidable and NHS England has said the data shouldn't be used to compare mortality outcomes between trusts. The health service also states that higher than expected deaths is not evidence of poor care at a particular Trust, nor are lower than expected fatalities a sign of good quality care. This system of recorded higher levels of patient deaths across NHS trusts is called summary hospital-level mortality indicator (SHMI). It was created in the wake of the Mid-Staffs scandal in a bid to spot potentially worrying trends in patient deaths earlier so they can be investigated. Up to 1,200 patients died as a result of poor care between January 2005 and March 2009 at Stafford hospital, run by the now-defunct Mid Staffordshire NHS Hospital Trust. The horrors—blamed on cost cutting and poor decision-making—were uncovered through a similar data analysis. On SHMI data an NHS spokesperson previously said: 'The findings from any analysis of the SHMI or its underlying data should act as a starting point for further investigation, rather than treated as a definitive view on quality of care. 'All hospital trusts need to examine, understand and explain their SHMI value, and use this information as a prompt to examine particular areas of patient care and take action if necessary.' NHS England state the difference between the expected and observed fatalities cannot be interpreted as excess deaths. Responding to the data, Dr Bernard Brett, Medical Director for the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: 'We have carried out a full and thorough review of our mortality data and we have seen an improvement in our SHMIs over the last year, which relates to more thorough data capture and improvements we have made in our care pathways for patients. 'There are a number of reasons for higher than expected SHMI scores and here in Norfolk we have an older population, many with significant long-term medical conditions, and a higher proportion of palliative care patients in our hospital. 'We have also identified important differences in how we capture and record data compared to other Trusts and there is an ongoing project to improve clinical data and coding quality and ensure that the complexity of the patients we look after is represented accurately in our data. We are working with our system partners to improve our palliative care pathways. 'Our Trust was one of the first in England to implement the Medical Examiner service and this team provides independent scrutiny of all deaths in the hospital. Whilst there are always opportunities to learn and improve, there are no indications from the Medical Examiner service that the Trust is an outlier for avoidable or unexpected deaths. 'The improvements we have made and continue to review are beginning to impact on the data we use for monitoring the number of patients who die following hospitalisation. This is something our Trust Board continues to closely monitor and is reported to regional and national colleagues.' University Hospitals of North Midlands told MailOnline the Trust's SHMI increase was due to a coding issue with patient data and no clinical concerns had been identified. The Trust added that efforts were underway to improve the accuracy of its data. The other six NHS trusts flagged in the report as having a higher than expected number of deaths were contacted for comment.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Shotley Bridge Hospital timeline hopes as work begins
There are hopes the building of a new hospital could start as early as 2027, after groundwork got under developer Project Genesis confirmed initial infrastructure had been put in at the site of Shotley Bridge Hospital in County Mike Clark said ground conditions would be tested over the coming months, with hopes further preparation work could be carried out from March to get the land ready for construction from 2027. County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust said it was "remobilising the team" and it aimed to provide a hospital over the next five years "subject to appropriate approvals". The start of the on-site works have helped to secure planning permission for the project before it expires, which has been in place since 2023."It's a really good step forward and it feels really good to get to that point," Mr Clark said. "People will see further planning equipment on the site over the next couple of months and that will be us making sure that we've got up to date knowledge of the ground conditions."Developers are hoping further work to create a new signalised junction on to the A692, as well as drainage, could start as early as next March. It is expected to take between nine and 12 months, Mr Clark said. "Once we've done that, we hand the site over to the hospital trust, hopefully in the beginning of 2027, and they can start with the foundation and build straight away," he added. The Derwent View site was identified as the most suitable for the new hospital in 2018. The 16-bed in-patient rehabilitation ward and urgent treatment centre would replace the current outdated facility. Earlier this year, Health Secretary Wes Streeting announced full construction was expected to begin within the next two years. The facility had been due to open this year but the project was plagued by delays and inflated costs."We have secured the funding, produced a realistic timetable, with spades in the ground for a new hospital site in Consett in 2026/7," he said Additional reporting by the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
New 'groundbreaking' diabetes treatment trialled by NHS could delay insulin need
A revolutionary medication designed to slow the progression of type 1 diabetes is currently being tested by a small number of NHS patients across the UK. Teplizumab, which has already received approval in the United States, teaches the immune system to cease its assault on pancreatic cells, postponing the requirement for insulin by an average of three years. In type 1 diabetes, the body's immune system launches an attack on the insulin-producing cells within the pancreas, resulting in the loss of natural blood sugar regulation. When blood glucose levels become excessively high or dangerously low, it can lead to severe health complications and potentially prove fatal. Individuals diagnosed with type 1 diabetes consequently require daily insulin injections. READ MORE: NHS says 'contact your GP practice' if you notice symptom that 'could be cancer' READ MORE: Preeclampsia may reduce lifelong risk of multiple cancers up to 45%, new study finds Hannah Robinson, a 36-year-old dentist and mother of two from Devon, has become the first adult in the UK to trial the medication in hopes of delaying the onset of her condition. She is receiving care at the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust following the discovery during her pregnancy that she was in the preliminary stages of developing type 1 diabetes. A small group of individuals are receiving the treatment on an individual assessment basis whilst it undergoes evaluation for broader NHS implementation. She explained: "For me, this new drug offers more freedom and the chance to focus on my health before I have to start thinking differently and managing life as somebody needing daily insulin. "This isn't just about what I eat or monitoring my glucose, it is also about having more control and not feeling defined by my condition. "This treatment could potentially pave the way for a future cure for type 1 diabetes, which is incredible. I feel very lucky to be part of this." Dr Nick Thomas, diabetes consultant and academic clinical lecturer at the University of Exeter, said: "This new treatment represents a really exciting shift in how we manage type 1 diabetes. "For the first time ever, we will be able to provide targeted treatment early enough in the process to alter the underlying immune process, aiming to slow down how quickly people need insulin. "Approximately half of all type 1 diabetes cases develop in adulthood, and Hannah will be the first adult in the UK to receive this treatment. "My hope is that in the future, we may be able to stop people with early type 1 diabetes from needing insulin at all." Dr Lucy Chambers, head of research impact and communications at Diabetes UK, said: "For people in the early stages of type 1 diabetes, teplizumab offers a groundbreaking opportunity to buy them precious extra years insulin-free. "Right now, it's only available in research settings – and while the excitement is real, urgent work is still needed to ensure it reaches everyone who could benefit. "That means securing a UK licence for teplizumab, establishing national screening programmes to identify people with early-stage type 1 diabetes before symptoms appear, and preparing the NHS to deliver this treatment at scale. "Diabetes UK is proud to be at the forefront of these efforts – funding pioneering research and working closely with the NHS towards a future where immunotherapies become the first-line treatment for tackling the autoimmune attack at the root of type 1 diabetes." Professor Richard Oram, consultant physician at the Royal Devon and professor at the University of Exeter, commented: "Excitingly, teplizumab is the first drug with the potential to delay type 1 diabetes, but needs to be given before clinical diagnosis due to high blood glucose. "It is really important to find new and improved approaches for identifying individuals at elevated risk."
BBC News
02-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Disabled NHS employee wins £233,000 payout from Suffolk trust
A disabled NHS employee has received more than £233,000 in compensation after it was found she was unfairly dismissed and discriminated against by a trust. Kelly Ruddock resigned from her role as a medical secretary at West Suffolk Hospital's mental health complex Wedgwood House, in Bury St Edmunds, in September left after being told she was required to take on a "ward based" role, which she could not fulfil because of her "substantial disabilities".An employment tribunal ruled the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust had failed to make reasonable adjustments for Mrs Ruddock and she had been a "victim of unlawful discrimination and unfairly dismissed". The trust apologised to Mrs Ruddock for "what she experienced and the distress that was caused". Mrs Ruddock started working as a medical secretary in July 2017, having previously been employed by the trust as an agency worker in has a number of health conditions including fibromyalgia and the lasting effects of a spinal injury sustained in a she carried out certain movements she would experience pain and on some occasions her back would spasm, leaving her immobile for up to 30 an administration review, she was told she would become a senior ward administrator – a role which would be "predominantly ward based".She feared she would "suffer a significant exacerbation of her symptoms" if she worked on a ward, concerns which an occupational health report said were valid. As part of the trust's redeployment policy – which applies to staff who, for example, have ill health – Mrs Ruddock was interviewed for a different meeting the criteria for the job it was instead given to another candidate who was not requiring employment tribunal ruled the trust had "failed" to follow its redeployment policy and that Mrs Ruddock should have been appointed to that role. 'Substantial disadvantage' The trust said that in a ward-based role Mrs Ruddock's day-to-day job would actually have remained "unchanged".The tribunal panel ruled that was never communicated to Mrs Ruddock and, if it had been, "she would have remained in post" and not resigned."A later advertisement for the post described it as 'ward based', so we do not accept it was the intention for the post to remain as it was," the panel the tribunal, the trust also accepted that working in a ward-based environment would have put Mrs Ruddock at a "substantial disadvantage in comparison with those who are not disabled". Jeremy Over, the chief people officer at the trust, said he respected the decision and outcome of the tribunal and that "changes to benefit our staff and enhance our culture" had been made."We launched a new reasonable adjustments toolkit to better support staff with a disability and prevent similar situations occurring in the future," he said. Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
North Wales Chronicle
25-06-2025
- Health
- North Wales Chronicle
Russian cyber attack on hospitals ‘contributed to patient death'
King's College Hospital, in south London, said that a patient died 'unexpectedly' during the cyber attack. And an investigation into the death found a 'number of contributing factors' including a 'long wait for a blood test result due to the cyber attack'. Pathology services provider Synnovis was the victim of a ransomware attack by a Russian cyber gang in June last year. As a result more than 10,000 appointments were cancelled at the two London NHS trusts that were worst affected. And a significant number of GP practices in London were unable to order blood tests for their patients. A King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said: 'One patient sadly died unexpectedly during the cyber-attack. 'As is standard practice when this happens, we undertook a detailed review of their care. 'The patient safety incident investigation identified a number of contributing factors that led to the patient's death. 'This included a long wait for a blood test result due to the cyber attack impacting pathology services at the time. 'We have met with the patient's family, and shared the findings of the safety investigation with them.' Earlier this month health officials confirmed that 170 patients have suffered harm as a result of the attack. Mark Dollar, chief executive of Synnovis, said: 'We are deeply saddened to hear that last year's criminal cyber attack has been identified as one of the contributing factors that led to this patient's death. 'Our hearts go out to the family involved.' A Government spokesperson said: 'Our deepest sympathies are with the family of the patient. 'This tragedy is a reminder of the threat Russia poses to our day-to-day life and how serious the consequences of these attacks can be to our critical infrastructure.'
