TWO Greater Manchester hospitals have been named among the worst in the country in a national report – sparking a furious row.
The trusts that run Wythenshawe and Tameside hospitals were both given patient safety scores of just 4.8 out of 100 by independent watchdogs Dr Foster. Hospital bosses reacted angrily, accusing the report of ‘unfair labelling’ and questioning its use of data.
The two trusts were among 12 in England put in the lowest possible category for patient safety.
The report used factors including death rates, infection and staffing.
Nine of the 12 were recently rated as good or excellent by the official regulator, the Care Quality Commission.
Tameside General was also found to have the third highest patient death rates in the country by the Dr Foster report. Bolton Royal was second, with only Basildon having a higher mortality rate.
University Hospitals of South Manchester (UHSM), which runs Wythenshawe, dismissed the Dr Foster report.
A spokeswoman said: “Dr Foster paint a picture of Wythenshawe which we the staff, our patients and the public will not recognise.
“In their last report, Dr Foster rated UHSM in the top ten safest hospitals in the country, based on low mortality rates.
“Mortality rates at UHSM are even lower this year, yet the same hospital is now being catapulted to the bottom of the national league table.”
UHSM also rejected Dr Foster claims that six patients were left with ‘foreign objects’ inside them following ops last year.
The trust said the figures used were for patients treated for op blunders at other hospitals.
A Royal Bolton Hospital spokeswoman said: “We have already begun to implement a robust action plan to understand why this has happened when our actual number of deaths has fallen steadily. Dr Foster themselves have praised the hospital’s commitment to improvement and its achievements over the last year.”
Tameside Hospital’s medical director, Dr Tariq Mahmood, said mortality rates had been falling over the last three years.
But he added: “We are monitoring it daily and won't be satisfied until we see rates that are at, or below, the expected levels.”
The Dr Foster report also highlighted local success stories, naming Trafford General the best medium sized hospital in the country with fewer deaths than expected and a good safety record.
Roger Taylor, director of Dr Foster, stood by the data usedHe said: “Some of these findings are very worrying. It is obviously not satisfactory that such variations in care exist, but it should be recognised this is a problem that is being addressed.”
The Care Quality Commission – the official health regulator – said some of the Dr Foster data was ‘flaky’.
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Showing comments 1 to 19 and replies | View All
Jay B, oldham (30/11/2009 at 11:18)
they do the same with schools, police, crime and immegration.
we just ignore these bodys as we all know that the true figures are much worse!
Laura Norder, Didsbury (30/11/2009 at 13:05)
The NHS is not perfect - it's a huge entity and things will go wrong - but the overwhelming majority of staff, at all levels, should be given the respect they are due.
ROMI TYAR (30/11/2009 at 13:25)
Esso Blue, In Association with prometheus , Manchester (30/11/2009 at 13:48)
Voter (30/11/2009 at 14:18)
Justice for Barbara Campaign Team (30/11/2009 at 14:26)
Steve an alternative view (30/11/2009 at 14:30)
‘There’s none as blind as those that cannot see’ Now who said that?
Maybe if the BMA dealt with bad doctors a little quicker the money would have been there to ensure these hospitals were up to standard!
Brook Lands (30/11/2009 at 15:28)
Squire of Newton, Newton nr. Hyde (30/11/2009 at 17:25)
Can the Pennine trust tell me when the are going to start instilling confindence in the their hospitals, whereby elderly residence ...and the rest of the local population for that matter can feel at ease with any treatment they made need, now or in the future?
Proper Sentences (30/11/2009 at 18:22)
Andy., Bury (30/11/2009 at 18:26)
Born2bVile, Ashton Under Lyne (30/11/2009 at 18:34)
When I have been forced to use it, it takes hours to be seen, let alone treated.
And most of the time, the treatment consists of 'We don't know whats wrong with you, go home.'
pluto, manchester (30/11/2009 at 19:19)
lets give some praise to
Trafford Healthcare NHS Trust
Trafford Healthcare NHS Trust has emerged as this year’s winner of the Dr Foster award for medium-sized trust of the year
The Dr Foster Hospital Guid has named Trafford as the best Trust of the Year for our size because of our excellent record on patient safety and the significant reduction in mortality rates.
They were also the only trust in the North West to be placed in the top-performing band for patient safety and one of just 14 in England to score this highly.
Well done to all the staff
Mr Mancunian, Sydney Australia (01/12/2009 at 09:19)
The doctor who attended me could barely comunicate in english, was completely baffled by my complaint & finally asked me to make another appointment for a further examination in a years time. He then quickly disappeared.
I got out of there 'smartish'. Completely demoralised & wondering what had happened to the wonderful NHS that I once boasted about to my Australian friends.
I suffered with the 'sore' eye until my return to Australia where the complaint was diagnosed, treated & cured. All under the Australian NHS.
It appears that Tameside Hopital hasn't changed in all of those intervening years.
Man Cunian (01/12/2009 at 14:45)
Esso Blue, In Association with prometheus , Manchester (01/12/2009 at 18:21)
30/11/2009 at 19:19
Planet Pluto. Pluto Roman equivalent of Hades, God of the underworld Tartarus AKA Hell. It is nice to know that mortality rates are down. Keep up the Good work.
The foreigner (02/12/2009 at 05:12)
30/11/2009 at 18:22
Wow, a couple of "proper paragraphs" would have been helpful!
J.Hall, Tameside (02/12/2009 at 12:33)
Its a scandal no Tameside MP is vigorously ensuring those at fault in the NHS are dumped as they would be in the commercial world.
owey7, manchester (25/01/2010 at 23:10)