Mansfield MP demands action against high King’s Mill Hospital death rates
Alan Meale MP Who has been awarded a knighthood
MANSFIELD MP Sir Alan Meale is demanding ‘immediate action’ from the trust that runs King’s Mill Hospital after NHS bosses announced it was being investigated for its persistently high patient death rates.
Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of 14 trusts that the NHS’s Medical Director, Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, is to look into in the wake of the damning report into scandal surrounding Stafford Hospital.
It has been chosen because it has had a high Hospital Standardised Mortality Ratio (HSMR) for two years, meaning more patients die while in the trust’s care than expected.
Sir Alan said he was ‘shocked’ that Sherwood Forest was among those that Sir Bruce will look at as part of his Government commissioned investigation.”
“I am very, very shocked about this, it is not acceptable,” he said.
“We have to put this right and we have to do it straight away. There’s no time to be lost.”
Sir Alan said that he ‘places no blame’ on the present senior management at the trust, who have only been in post for a short time, but is meeting with them next week to discuss this and other problems.
“But it’s their responsibility and I expect immediate action to be taken to reassure the public that this is going to be put right,” he added.
Chad revealed last month that the Care Quality Commission had already contacted the trust about its high mortality rates from septicaemia, with the trust admitting that the care some patients received was ‘deficient’.
But Sir Bruce’s announcement that Sherwood Forest is one of the trust’s he will be investigating comes as another blow to its reputation.
He said: “The purpose of my investigation is to assure patients, public and Parliament that these hospitals understand why they have high mortality and have all the support they need to improve.
“This will be a thorough and rigorous process, involving patients, clinicians, regulators and local organisations.”
Ashfield MP Gloria De Piero said that it was good news that there is going to be an independent inspection.
“The people of Ashfield deserve access to the best healthcare possible and importantly, healthcare they can trust,” she said.
“If there has been cause for concern then it is only right it gets looked into and I know health bosses at the trust have already taken steps to improve the situation.”
Eric Morton, the chief executive of the Sherwood Forest trust, welcomed Sir Bruce’s investigation.
He said: “The quality and safety of our services is paramount and I welcome any external review that helps us to further improve our services at a swifter pace.”
Mr Morton said that the trust now monitors other measures that give early indications of what death rates are likely to be so that actions can be put in place early on to make improvements.
“Our most up to date information, using a range of measures, demonstrates that the improvements we have made to date have begun to have a positive impact on our mortality rates,” he added.
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Sunday 19 May 2013
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