THE special measures regime imposed on the Royal Blackburn and Burnley General hospitals has brought a ‘significant reduction’ in their death rates, a new report has found.

Healthcare analysis firm, Dr Foster, said there has been a stark improvement at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, which has seen a shift from rising mortality to falling mortality rates.

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Before the trust was placed in special measures in July 2013, inspectors had raised concerns over 332 ‘excess deaths’ under the Summary Hospital-level Mortality Indicator (SHMI) in the year to November 2012.

But as previously reported, its mortality ratios moved within ‘expected levels’ last year, after a strict improvement programme was overseen by national NHS officials from July 2013.

This has included hundreds of new nurses being drafted in to boost staffing levels, and huge efforts to reduce delays in the emergency department.

Several board members had also left the trust before improvements were recognised, including former chief executive Mark Brearley and director of operations, Val Bertenshaw.

Former chairman Hazel Harding and chief nurse Lynn Wissett both stepped down on the day the trust was placed in special measures. The trust left special measures in the summer.

Roger Taylor, of Dr Foster, said: “It is now up to the NHS to learn lessons of what worked in each of the 11 trusts, so that a best practice approach for special measures can be adopted.

“Hospitals need to pay urgent attention to any warning signs from their data.”