NHS trusts where 'too many' patients die - how does yours rank? (2024)

Britain's 15 'deadliest' hospitals — where patient fatalities are far higher than they should be — have been revealed in an official report.

The worrying data shows that some NHS trusts recorded as over 50 per cent more patient deaths than expected between April 2023 and March this year.

Health service analysts said while this isn't a measure of poor care, these elevated patient deaths serve as a 'smoke alarm' that necessitates further investigation.

However, of the 15 trusts in England with these 'smoke alarms' sounding, seven have been flagged in a previous alert.

Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust recorded the highest number of excess hospital deaths in the report, with 53 per cent more than expected.

The report, from NHS England, 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 as well those who die within 30 days of being discharged.

In the case of Royal Surrey, the Trust recorded 1,335 fatalities in the reporting period compared to a predicted 875.

When we contacted the Trust, it insisted the data was incorrect however it did not provide alternative figures.

This was followed by East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, with 32 per cent more deaths than expected, 2,290 compared to1,735 expected.

County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust rounded up the top three with 24 per cent more deaths than predicted, 3,270 compared to2,640 expected.

In total, 15 trusts had a higher than expected number of patients deaths in the NHS report, about 7.5 per cent of the 119 in England for which there was data.

But of these seven trusts also recorded higher than expected deaths in the previous report for April 2022 to March 2023.

There were Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals,Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals,East Cheshire,Doncaster & Bassetlaw Hospitals, Medway,Leeds Teaching Hospitals andCounty Durham and Darlington.

In that year's report only 10 trusts recorded 'smoke alarm' levels of higher than expected patient deaths, meaning the number has increased this year.

In total the NHS recorded 290,000 patient deaths in this year's report, up from 260,000 the year prior.

While the majority of trusts recorded higher, or an as expected, number of patient deaths 13 trusts had a lower number of patient death than the NHS expected.

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation trust had the largest gap of this kind, recording 29 per cent fewer patient death than expected,1,735 fatalities compared to the 2,430 expected.

This was followed byImperial College Healthcare NHS Trust with 27 per cent fewer deaths (2,100) andRoyal Free London NHS Foundation Trust with 23 per cent fewer (2,490) than expected.

Royal Surrey said a data quality issue meant that their values for this period 'should be ignored'.

The Trust’s medical director, William Jewsbury said: 'The data report...for our Trust is incorrect due to a data quality issue with the upload to the national team at NHS England.

'This data error has been recognised and the correct data has been uploaded but could not be corrected nationally prior to publication.'

He added previous years data showed this year's figure for the trust was a 'clear anomaly'.

NHS England also confirmed theRoyal Surrey has had an issue with recording secondary diagnoses, conditions like high blood pressure which can contribute to death, among patients.

This meant deaths being recorded, on paper, were among healthier people than would hypothetically be expected, elevating its patient death figures in the report.

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said they continue to investigate the data that contributes to these figures as well as the care delivered to patients.

They added however that NHS figures also confirm thehospital mortality rate for both elective and emergency admissions 'remain at or below the national average'.

A spokesperson for County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust said they had experienced 'challenges' with their data and while they acknowledged the patient deaths in the report is higher than expected 'we would like to provide assurance that we have robust processes in place which constantly review the quality of care given to patients who have died'.

They added a review of their data processing on patient deaths had identified some flaws that could be improved and they have further work planned in this area.

The other trusts with higher than expected patient death levels were contacted for comment.

While no reasons for the higher than expected deaths are highlighted in the report, emergency care specialists have previously warned that long A&E waits were linked to 300 deaths a week last year.

It comes as separate NHS figures show the health service is struggling on multiple fronts.

The latest data, for June, showsthat only 75.2 percent of patients in England were seen within four hours in A&Es last month.

Whilst this is an improvement on previous figures it is still below the 78 per cent target the NHS has set with now being three years since A&E performance was at this level.

It has also been four years since a national average 18-minute response time for ambulances to arrive to emergencies like heart attacks and strokes has been met.

The current average response time for such emergencies in England is 33 minutes 35 seconds.

Waiting list for routine treatments in the health service in England also rose for the third month in a row.

An estimated 7.62million treatments were waiting to be carried out at the end of June, relating to 6.39million patients.

This a rise from the 7.60million treatments and 6.37million patients recorded at the end of May.

The figures are still down from a record peak of 7.77million treatments and 6.5million patients recorded in September 2023 but the total has been creeping up since April.

Cancer treatment figures also continue to fail meet targets with proportion of patients starting treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral only 67.4 per cent.

While an improvement on the previous monthly figure it's still well below the 85 per cent target.