BY PETE HENSHAW

MID-CHESHIRE Hospital Trust has one of the worst death rates in the country according to a recent report.

The trust is made up of Leighton Hospital, Northwich Infirmary and Crewe-based South Cheshire Private Hospital and is the seventh worst in the country.

The study, which has been published by an Independent Healthcare Watchdog, also labels the trust as the worst in the North West.

The report says the trust has a mortality rate of 114, which is 14 above the national average.

The mortality index compares relative rates of death in hospitals taking into account factors such as the type of patients.

A figure higher than 100 indicates a higher than expected death rate.

Official figures obtained from Leighton show that of the 50,000 people admitted in 1999 around 160 died within 30 days of emergency surgery.

Simon Yates, Chief Executive at the 700-bed Leighton Hospital commented on the figures: "Many of these emergencies were patients with very serious conditions such as coronary heart disease and cancer."

The news was compounded as it was revealed that Mid Cheshire has been listed in the top twenty worst areas for Breast Cancer waiting times with only 82 per cent of cases seen within two weeks.

The figures also show that Mid-Cheshire had 27 doctors per hundred beds placing it among the worst 50 in the country, with the worst figure being recorded at 11 doctors per hundred and the best at 70 per hundred.

Jean French, Chief Officer at Crewe's Community Health Council, said: "We are very concerned and have met with Simon Yates, Chief Executive at Leighton.

"They have a system in place where they look at exactly what is happening in each individual case, there is obviously going to be some deaths but the figures are worryingly high.

"We have been very concerned about the lack of doctors for a long time as Mid-Cheshire is underfunded when compared with Chester and Macclesfield."

Mr Yates, reassured patients of Leighton: "We have already looked at the statistics contained in the report and meetings have taken place between management and senior clinicians to look at possible causes.

"It should be noted that, the statistics are those published by the Government in 2000 and based on data collected for 1999 and many changes have already been made.

"We look at all deaths in the Trust individually and collectively to see if anything could have been done to prevent that occurrance and reduce future risk.

"I have complete confidence in the clinical staff in the Trust and I am confident the figures we provide this year, based on the year 2000, will show an improvement," he added.

Mr Yates has also been invited to a special meeting of Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council on February 7 by council leader Peter Kent to 'agree on priority actions'.

Mrs French added: "We must not ignore the figures, we do not want to be near the bottom, there is a lot of room for improvement."