Work to cut death rates at Grimsby's hospital paying off

BOSSES say work to reduce mortality rates at Grimsby's hospital is beginning to pay off – boosting the morale of both staff and patients.

Figures for 2012 ranked Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – which manages Grimsby, Scunthorpe and Goole hospitals – as fifth worst in the country for mortality.

The trust was also one of 11 nationwide placed into special measures by the Government following the findings of the Keogh review.

However, acting medical director Professor Carrock Sewell says the Trust has "bent over backwards" to ensure it is now ranked 18th worst in the country and is no longer in the mortality rate category that the Keogh review recommends needs monitoring.

He said: "It was important to make these changes, both for all of our patients and the morale of our staff, who are committed to providing the best level of care possible.

"We are confident we are now heading in the right direction.

"This is the first ray of sunshine that things are on the up.

"It's important that people get the message that we are doing the right things and improving."

Earlier this year the nationally-produced Summary Hospital-level Mortality Indicator (SHMI) figures revealed that more people were dying – either at the three hospitals or within 30 days of being treated at them – than would be expected.

Although similar official figures will not be available until March, the Trust has monitored its own performance for the 12 months from April 2012 to April 2013 in line with SHMI criteria.

Professor Sewell added: "We are obviously cautious of promoting any improvements until we have the official statistics, but our home-grown monitoring has been consistent with official data in the past.

"There's still a lot of work to do, but this is a positive sign."

Another indication that care at the hospitals is improving is the crude mortality rate.

Although still above the national average, the Trust is now in line with its peers – a group of 10 hospitals of a similar size with similar catchments areas – for the first time since June 2010.