They do things differently in Scotland.

They do things differently in Scotland – it’s a devolved government with limited powers to decide how to spend revenue that we don’t have down here in the soft south.

There’s a whole different attitude to the NHS too – much more proactive, much more successful in keeping down mortality rates – a target to work towards and action taken when there are problems.

Above all, they aren’t waiting for a long drawn out public campaign, to be ignored for a decade before they do something.

There also questions I’d raise, it’s an area I knew well, lots of deprivation and health problems arising from them which can make a difference to mortality rates.

But what looks like a bad news article is actually the right way of going about things.

Take a look at this article

 

 

 

By Lindsey Archibald

Investigation launched after mortality rates at three Lanarkshire hospitals were found to be above average

27 Aug 2013

Monklands Hospital, Wishaw General and Hairmyres Hospital are all under review after official figures showed higher than normal mortality rates.

 

PATIENT safety is to be assessed at three Lanarkshire hospitals after above average mortality rates were recorded.

 

Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) will carry out an assessment of the approach towards patient safety after figures from the last quarter showed the hospital standardised mortality ratios (HSMR) to be high at two locations.

Monklands Hospital in Airdrie and Wishaw General Hospital were identified as having an above average HSMR rate in the latest figures published by ISD Scotland today.

As part of the HIS assessment, the other NHS Lanarkshire hospital, Hairmyres Hospital in East Kilbride, will also be reviewed.

Dr Iain Wallace, medical director for NHS Lanarkshire, said: "Our priority is for patients to receive the highest quality of care every time and we have a clear focus on the provision of safe and effective patient care.

"We very much welcome the support and involvement of HIS to undertake an assessment of the local action plans we are progressing, along with their detailed review to identify any further improvement measures that can be implemented."

The results for NHS Lanarkshire show a break in trend as during the last five years, since the last quarter of 2007 to the first quarter of this year, hospital mortality in Scotland has decreased by 11.6%.

Between 2009 and 2011 there was a sustained drop in HSMR rates across Scotland and in recent years figures have been more constant, according to ISD Scotland.

NHS Scotland clinical director Professor Jason Leitch said: "We expect all health boards to ensure patient safety is their top priority and the Scottish Patient Safety Programme (SPSP) has been working for over five years to deliver ways to make healthcare safer.

"Although a high hospital standardised mortality rate (HSMR) is not by itself a definitive measure of the quality and safety of care, it serves as an important prompt for further investigation.

"Where HSMR suggests a potential issue, a health board must be able to demonstrate that it is taking appropriate action to investigate and resolve any problems found to be causing a higher than expected HSMR, and it is reassuring that NHS Lanarkshire is already working on an action plan to address this.

"That is why I have also commissioned Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) to undertake a rapid assessment, in partnership with NHS Lanarkshire, of the reasons behind the HSMR figures in Lanarkshire and to see if the improvement measures in place can be strengthened and accelerated."

 

Robbie Pearson, director of scrutiny and assurance for HIS, said: "We will carry out a rigorous and independent review of NHS Lanarkshire.

"Our work will be driven and underpinned by a commitment to improving the safety and quality of care for patients, and patient interests will be placed first at all times.

"We have today published the terms of reference and review plan. In due course, our final review report will also be made public."

 

There are 31 hospitals taking part in the SPSP and 28 (90%) have shown a reduction in HSMR since the last quarter of 2007, with seven (22.6%) reaching the target decrease of 15%.The SPSP aim was to reduce HSMR by 15% by December 2012, although this has now been revised to a 20% decrease by December 2015.

Neil Harris

(a don’t stop till you drop production)

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