The Best And Worst Hospitals In The Country
A watchdog report has found that there was an appalling failure of care to patients, a lot of which was simply a lack of basic nursing skills.
The watchdog which is called The Care Quality Commission found that dreadful standards at Basildon and Thurrock University NHS Hospitals Foundation Trust led to the deaths of up to 400 patients a year. This investigation discovered that an internal investigation by the Trust itself into the death rates had failed to find anything wrong.
This disheartening report follows on from the investigation into another Trust, namely Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, where there were up to 1,200 avoidable deaths.
Basildon was one of the country's first Foundation Trusts meaning that in 2004 it was given more freedom than other Trusts over its spending and did not have to answer to government. Worryingly, Mid Staffordshire was also a Foundation Trust.
From April 2011, The Care Quality Commission will be able to fine the Trusts and, if necessary, close departments which are filthy or failing patients in other ways or indeed close the whole hospital.
Meanwhile, 14 NHS Trusts in England have been given patient safety scores in Band 5 which is the highest band available. The safety scores are compiled by assembling data across 148 Trusts in England.
See below for the Trusts which were in the highest Band 5 where 100 is the best score and 0 the worst score:-
Trusts in Band 5 (The Best Safety Rating)
- University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (100)
- Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (99.32)
- Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (98.63)
- Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (97.26)
- St George's Healthcare NHS Trust (97.26)
- South Tees Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (95.89)
- Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust (94.52)
- Frimley Park Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (94.52)
- Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust (93.84)
- Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (93.84)
- North Bristol NHS Trust (93.15)
- East Kent Hospitals University NHS Trust (92.47)
- Trafford Healthcare NHS Trust (92.47)
- Airedale NHS Trust (91.78)
Now see below for the Trusts in Band 1 which have the worst safety rating.
Trusts in Band 1 (The Worst Safety Rating)
- Hereford Hospitals NHS Trust (6.85)
- Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hospitals NHS Trust (6.16)
- Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust (6.16)
- St Helens and Knowsley Hospitals NHS Trust (5.48)
- South London Healthcare NHS Trust (4.79)
- Tameside Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (4.79)
- University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust (4.79)
- Weston Area Health NHS Trust (4.11)
- University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust (3.42)
- The Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust (3.42)
- Scarborough and North East Yorkshire Health Care NHS Trust (2.05)
- Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (0)
Staffing Levels
Permanent staffing levels remain a concern in many accident and emergency departments where there can be a heavy reliance on bank or agency nurses. These were issues raised by the Staffordshire Trust Independent Inquiry into health care and Basildon Hospital (70 needless deaths). 1 in 3 hospitals are relying on inexperienced doctors to look after patients in accident and emergency. Using the Freedom of Information Act the Conservatives found almost 1 in 3 hospitals did not have a senior doctor on duty including 13% which only had a junior doctor present.
Summary
Clearly there are significant issues to be addressed by many NHS Trusts to ensure that health care improves which will lead to a reduction in the number of compensation claims payable by the Trusts.
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