Local Liberal Democrats have expressed surprise and concern at a recent study which showed that East & North Herts Hospital NHS Trust appeared in the highest band for hospital mortality rates.

Looking into the figures, they have discovered that, according to one method of calculation, East & North Herts showed up as joint second worst NHS Trust out of 147 Trusts across England, coming in the top band when actual mortality rates are compared with what would be expected.

The Trust runs the Lister and QEII hospitals, as well as treating over 5,000 patients each year in the Mount Vernon Cancer Unit; however, the study takes pre-existing conditions and other relevant factors into account.

Lib Dem County Councillor for Welwyn Garden City, Malcolm Cowan, said: “Although the treatment I received at the Lister was first-class, it was a little disconcerting to be lying in bed there last Friday reading a newspaper report describing it as having the second highest death rate in the country!”

Fellow Lib Dem County Councillor, Nick Hollinghurst, who is the Vice-Chair of Hertfordshire’s Health Scrutiny Committee and examined the study in detail, added:
“The detailed and very scientific study, which the newspaper report simplified to a large extent, looked at the numbers of deaths taking place both in the hospitals and within 30 days of patients being discharged. It calculated the statistics twice, using two different methods – and East & North Herts Trust came in the highest mortality band both times. This has to be a matter of concern, and I am calling on the Trust’s management to start a thorough review of the death rates straight away.”

He continued: “We all know that the Trust treats large numbers of seriously ill patients, including those on dialysis, those with cancer and stroke victims, and we recognise the good work that they do for the community. But we feel that following this study, we are justified in asking for a thorough review and an action plan for improvement, as the public deserve some explanations.”