A NATIONAL hospital guide has again highlighted the ‘high’ death rate at the Royal Blackburn and Burnley General hospitals, as well as concerns about the number of patient readmissions.

Health statistics firm Dr Foster has described the Summary Hospital-level Mortality Indicator [SHMI] at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust [ELHT] as ‘above expected’ for 2012/13.

This is based on the same data published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre [HSCIC] last week, which showed there were 2,657 deaths against an expected number of 2,372, a rate of 112.

As reported by the Lancashire Telegraph, the HSCIC found this was just inside the upper statistical control limit so within the ‘expected range’, but the Dr Foster team appears to have used slightly different controls.

Rineke Schram, medical director at ELHT, said she was ‘cautiously optimistic’ about the HSCIC findings, and improvements are being targeted at conditions with the most concerning mortality figures, such as stroke, kidney failure, fractured neck of femur and alcohol-related liver disease.

She added: “We have a clear strategy on dealing with these by consistent use of clinical care bundles, which are a clear list of five or six evidence-based medical ‘must dos’ that have been proven to improve patient health outcomes. The most recent mortality figures suggest this strategy is beginning to work.”

The trust, which is currently in special measures, remains within the expected range on a separate indicator, the Hospital Standardised Mortality Ratio.

The full Dr Foster report is not published until tomorrow (sun), but will also expected to flag up concerns about ELHT’s emergency readmissions rate. However, Mrs Schram said the information used was taken prior to various improvements being made.