More people died at a Huddersfield hospital trust than was expected for a second year running.
And death rates were higher at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary (HRI) than at Calderdale Royal Hospital (CRH), Halifax, for most of last year.
Figures from NHS Digital reveal that 2,346 people died at the two hospitals between July 2015 and June 2016.
That’s 252 more deaths than the 2,094 that were expected – or almost an eighth (12%) more.
And figures from Calderdale and Huddersfield Foundation Trust (CHFT) reveal that the mortality rate at HRI in 2015 was more than a tenth (11%) higher than it was at CRH.
‘Themes’ such as delays in administering medication and hospital acquired pneumonia have been identified by CHFT, which runs the two hospitals.
They include falls, septic wounds and patients housed in inappropriate wards.
Other themes noted by the trust include observations not carried out according to protocol and shortages – or a lack – of patient reviews by senior medical staff.
Across the country, there were 11 trusts with a significantly higher number of deaths than expected between July 2015 and June 2016.
And five of these – CHFT, South Tyneside, Wye Valley, Dorset County and Blackpool Teaching Hospitals – had experienced a higher than expected number of people dying the year before.
In comparison, 15 hospital trusts actually had a significantly lower number of deaths than expected, eight of which were in the same position the year before.
According to early research by CHFT only a small proportion of deaths at the trust were avoidable.
The research suggests that the rate of avoidable deaths for 2015 was around 1%.
Assistant director for quality, Juliette Cosgrove, said the trust’s mortality rate was improving but there was still work to do.
Ms Cosgrove said: “A comprehensive programme of work is underway and the mortality data from that is now showing a significant improvement – but we accept there is still more to do.
“We are confident that what we are doing is making care more safe and effective and that, as a result, the figures will reduce.”
The mortality figures were calculated by comparing the actual number of deaths in hospitals with the number that would be expected to die based on average figures for England.
The calculation also took into account certain characteristics of the patients treated at each trust.
While the number of actual deaths compared to those expected does not necessarily give an indication of the performance of a trust, it may reveal that further investigation is required.
