Skip to main content
Legal news

Report warns of problems in quality of care

Jonathan Winston Jonathan Winston
2 min read

The authors of a new report have said that the higher than average mortality rates in some NHS trusts should act as a warning of potential problems in the quality of care they provide.

Roger Taylor, director of research at Dr Foster, which published the findings, said that while standards generally were improving, there were still some trusts which were lagging behind in terms of patient care.

He said: “Safety standards are improving, mortality rates are falling, the variation between the best and the worst is getting less. However, we do still have a long way to go in terms of involving patients in decisions about their care, enabling them to understand what their options are and ensuring they can always reliably and safely get the best quality care.”

He was speaking after Dr Foster published its 2010 Hospital Guide which showed that there were 19 NHS trusts which had death rates higher than would normally have been expected as well as two, in Hull and Birmingham, which had high rates of both hospital standardised mortality rates and deaths after surgery. Dr Foster says that the mortality rate is too high to occur by chance and it can be used as a warning sign. It adds that the figures published should not be used in isolation, but should act as an alarm to signal areas of concern.

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said that patients had the right to expect the best from the NHS and when standards fell below expectation, there was a duty to report it. He added: “We have already taken action to improve safety and openness in the NHS - publishing more information and statistics for all to see, extending the list of mistakes the NHS will not be paid for and strengthening rights for whistleblowers.”

Source:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11839680

 

Client feedback

Very easy to make an appointment, and the advice given was presented in a manner that a layman can understand and all questions answered to my satisfaction. have no hesitation in recommending if you need to use their service.
Anonymous
I moved my divorce to Teresa and Judith from another solicitor that I did not have confidence in and what a difference. Their sensitivity and understanding got me through one of the worst times of my life. Their guidance, support and knowledge through the whole drawn out process is so appreciated. Together we managed to achieve a fair settlement. Teresa and Judith absolutely know what they are doing. I cannot recommend them enough.
Pauline
They help us and guided us buying the property
Shamim
Very professional and courteous. Good response times and extremely thorough in their work. Highly recommend.
Richard
I recently updated my will with Winston Solicitors. Emily was very helpful and professional. She explained everything I needed to know very clearly and addressed any questions I had . The service was excellent
Ann
Great experience and consistent feedback
Alexander
Good communication, clear emails, good attention to detail reacted quickly to problems.. We have used twice now and would certainly use her again as a convincing solicitor. Much better than other we have used in the past.
Rachel
The service from Sam and Paolo has been exceptional - timely, responsive and efficient through a highly stressful house purchase (no fault of theirs!) and we would highly recommend them both to anyone!
Mr & M
Contact Jonathan