NEWS RELEASE
 
Released by: Peter Bone
Release time: Immediate
Date: 01 March 2010
Contact:  07780 613 457
     0207 219 3492
                 07814 567 967
Peter Bone MP
Listening to Wellingborough & Rushden News
PETER BONE MP CALLS FOR INDEPENDENT INQUIRY INTO KETTERING GENERAL HOSPITAL
 
Peter Bone, Member of Parliament for Wellingborough and Rushden and a member of the influential House of Commons Health Select Committee, today called on the Secretary of State for Health to establish an independent inquiry into the high hospital standardised mortality ratios (HSMRs) at Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. 
 
Mr Bone said: “Seven hospitals in the country, including Kettering General Hospital, have been found to have significantly high mortality rates by the well-regarded Dr Foster Hospital Guide 2009, not just over a short period of time, but for the previous five years.  Two of these hospitals are currently undergoing an independent investigation by the Care Quality Commission – why isn’t this happening for the other five?
 
“It would be a tragedy if we found ourselves with another Mid-Staffordshire on our hands because independent auditors failed to investigate those hospitals which, prima facie, have abnormally high death rates.
 
“Whilst an investigation is necessary for all seven hospitals mentioned, I am particularly concerned about the situation at Kettering General Hospital as they have stated that this outcome is down to data errors only.  If this is the case, and hopefully it will be, then an independent investigation would reveal that there was no problem.  However, as I am seeing an increasing number of serious complaints against the hospital in my surgery, I do have concerns.  Therefore, if the inquiry showed that there was something wrong, this would clearly require a change of management at the hospital.
 
“I believe that the nurses, doctors and staff at Kettering Hospital are doing an excellent job, but their hard work is currently under a cloud as a result of this report’s findings.  Whether these results are due to administrative errors or bad management, it is vital that we have an independent investigation and I have written to the Secretary of State demanding that such an inquiry be undertaken into Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust”.
 
ENDS
 
Notes to Editors:
  1. Immediate release.
  2. For more information please contact Peter Bone on 07780 613 457 or Caroline Escott on 07814 567967.
  3. Dr Foster UK is an independent provider of comparative information on UK health and social care services.  Each year, they publish a Hospital Guide so that the public can identify the highest achieving hospitals in their area. One of these measures is the ‘hospital standardised mortality ratio’ (HSMRs) which measures the likelihood of individual patients dying – given their underlying condition, age and deprivation group – and then compare this against the actual number of deaths that occurred in different hospitals.
    4.
 

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