Poor care ‘killing patients’

Poor healthcare could be responsible for hundreds of deaths a year in British hospitals, according to research.

One in three patients who died within days of being admitted did not receive acceptable standards of care, an independent health watchdog found.

The study highlighted issues such as cancelled operations, untreated complications resulting from surgery and delays cause by operating theatres being closed evenings and weekends.

Although they cannot quantify figures, the National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death (NCEPOD) say that poor care contributed to at least some of the more than 3,000 deaths they analysed.

Patient groups have reacted to examples given in the report with dismay.

More than half of patients suffered delays in being seen by a senior doctor that postponed “timely and appropriate care”.

One in seven, 13.8 per cent, had surgery delayed, while for other operations which potentially have benefited their condition were not performed.

The report also said that government targets are impacting on patient care.

The report goes on to say that the problems highlighted could be further exasperated by European Union regulations which came into effect earlier this year applying the Working Time Directive to newly qualified doctors.

The rule means that a doctors working week cannot exceed 48 hours, significantly less than junior doctors were traditionally expected to work.

The study reviewed the care of 3,153 patients who died within four days of being admitted to hospitals across Britain between the start of October 2006 and the end of March 2007.

Only half of the patients were not expected to survive when they entered hospital.

Appropriate care of terminal patients, such as considering reducing the number of drugs they are given, were also not taken in many cases.

Katherine Murphy, from the Patient’s Association, said that the findings ran the risk of undermining “basic confidence” in the NHS.

“For almost four out of 10 patients not to get high quality care is appalling, not just for the patients who died but for those nearest to them who were not only bereaved but may be left with terrible memories of what happened.

“We’re told patient safety is the number one priority for the NHS - this report suggests otherwise.”

John Black, president of the Royal College of Surgeons, said: “This hard-hitting report highlights the loss of proper team working in UK hospitals, resulting in dangerous failures of communication which make it harder and harder for clinicians to provide safe care for patients.

“Earlier this month the College published a survey into the early effects of the 48 hour European Working Time limit on surgeons and found that these new rotas had almost entirely removed adequate time for handover of sick patients.”

Around 300,000 people die every year in British hospitals.