Death rates probe

The Pennine Acute Trust, which runs Rochdale Infirmary, North Manchester General, Fairfield Hospital and the Royal Oldham, has defended itself against claims it should be investigated for having excessive death rates.

The trust was named as one of 25 hospital trusts with higher than average death rates.

According to research by Professor Sir Brian Jarman, a former member of an inquiry into the deaths of heart patients at Bristol Royal Infirmary, each of the trusts he highlighted had at least 150 more deaths than expected in the year 2007–08.

Across the 25 trusts, there were 4,600 unexpected deaths in total.

The professor has called on the Government to ask the independent body the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to probe each of the trusts rather than relying on self-assessments.

He said: “My main concern is that the Government only focuses on self-inspection rather than launching wider inquiries. That is why I have decided to take action.

“An investigation may not prove anything is being done wrong but it could still boost our ability to reduce death rates.”

However, Dr Ruth Jameson, medical director at The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, said data used was two years old.

She said the trust board monitored monthly mortality rates using a different measuring tool, which showed rates had been falling year on year and were showing a steady improvement.