Andy Burnham calls for region death rate probe

Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham has called for an investigation into why hospitals in the West Midlands have higher than expected death rates.

It emerged this week that every hospital in the Black Country had high levels of deaths among patients. Dudley's Russells Hall Hospital had 16 per cent more deaths than expected in 2010-11, Wolverhampton's New Cross Hospital had 12 per cent more deaths, while Walsall and Sandwell Hospitals had six per cent more deaths.

New Cross Hospital was named for having 39 per cent more deaths at weekends than would be expected. Only Stafford Hospital had a lower than expected death rate, with 10 per cent fewer patients dying.

Visiting the region yesterday, former health minister Andy Burnham said: "It is worrying that hospitals are showing higher than expected deaths. There is a case for an investigation of services across the area, and it needs to happen quickly."

Mr Burnham said the high death rates were not, on their own, evidence of failure or poor care, adding: "They can be explained by other factors but they are a trigger for investigation. We need to look at the whole region, rather than hospital by hospital."

Mr Burnham, who has called on the Government to scrap its major reforms of the NHS, said the Government had "dismantled" the structures of the NHS which could carry out an investigation, which, he said, was an "unacceptable" position.

Meanwhile, tax payers in Cannock Chase could foot the bill to help troubled Stafford Hospital reopen its accident and emergency department round the clock, it emerged today.

Bosses at the district council want to give the hospital cash from the authority's coffers to recruit specialist A&E consultants. Stafford Borough Council and Staffordshire County Council, who were asked to back the proposal with their own finances, rejected the idea.

However, Cannock Chase Council leader George Adamson is pressing ahead with plans to offer funding for Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Stafford. The hospital's A&E was closing overnight from 10pm today.

Councillor Adamson said: "I have checked the legal position, and we can use taxpayers' money for the benefit of people's health, and I think the overnight closure is endangering the lives of residents in Cannock Chase."