We want to be the hospital of choice for our local population and the hospital of choice for our specialist services for those across the south west and beyond.
We are proud to say that Plymouth Hospitals has:
• Low mortality rates
• A South West Cardiothoracic Centre that is among the best in the country
• Falling MRSA rates
• Proved itself as a growing specialist centre – in 2005 we were asked to take the lead role in providing care for patients with pancreatic cancer. We are already a specialist centre for neurosurgery, cardiac and renal surgery and neo-natal intensive care.
• Some of the best imaging facilities in Europe including two MRI scanners and 3 CT scanners including a top-of-the-range 64-bit CT scanner
• Been one of the leading sites in the country for installing a totally digital imaging system called Picture Archiving and Communications Systems (PACS). This system has replaced traditional X-ray films with digital images, throughout Derriford and the community hospitals.
• A comprehensive range of specialties on one site
Better than Expected Mortality Rates
Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust has one of the best mortality rates in the country, according to the Dr Foster Hospital Guide published in December 2005.
The independent Guide shows that Plymouth’s Derriford Hospital is in the ‘best performing’ category and has a death rate significantly lower than the average, meaning that the Trust is performing better than expected.
The Hospital Standardised Mortality Ratio tells patients whether, given the age, sex, social deprivation and diagnosis of patient’s admitted, a hospital’s death rate is better or worse than the average.
For a hospital the size of Derriford, and the type and severity of patients treated by our staff, we would be performing as expected with a score of 100. Our actual score of 91 shows that our death rate is significantly better than the average.
The mortality rate for heart bypasses at Derriford was also exceptional. A rate of 100 is the average. Derriford’s heart surgeons came out much better with a rate of 40.4 – nearly 60% better than the average.
Good News for Heart Patients
The survival rates for all cardiac surgery operations at the South West Cardiothoracic Centre were better than expected in the last three years, according to new data published in April 2006.
The data was published by the Healthcare Commission, in conjunction with the Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery in Great Britain and is available at http://heartsurgery.healthcarecommission.org.uk/
The risk-adjusted survival data makes the necessary adjustments for the fact that some patients are more likely to survive than others, depending on the type of operation and factors such as age, severity of illness and other medical problems.
The data shows that 2971 cardiac surgery operations were performed on patients in the three years ending March 2005. The survival rate for these patients was 96.9% and better than expected.
Figures are also available for Coronary Artery Bypass Graft operations and Aortic Valve Replacements. These show that the survival rates for Coronary Artery Bypass Graft operations were better than expected at the South West Cardiothoracic Centre in the last three years and as expected in the last year. Survival rates for Aortic Valve Replacement were as expected, both over the last three years and the last year.
Consultant cardiothoracic surgeon Adrian Marchbank said: “These figures show that the South West Cardiothoracic Unit continues to offer very good outcomes for patients. We are very proud of this and will work hard to continue this excellent work. The unit is due to expand next year and we hope, where possible, this will allow us to improve the facilities and access for patients.”
How Dr Foster Rates Plymouth Hospitals
The performance of Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust is above average in two key areas, according to the Hospital Scorecard produced by Dr Foster.
The scorecard shows that we are:
Above Average on Quality (green)
Above Average on Efficiency (green)
Average on Satisfaction (amber)
Average on Waiting Times (amber)
Dr Foster advises: “Don’t get too concerned if your hospital is not green across the board; it is hard to perform well on all measures. No hospital managed to get four green ratings and only three trusts get three out of four.”
The hospital scorecard was published in December 2005. For more information visit:
http://www.drfoster.co.uk/hospitalReport/
In the Top 40 Again
For the sixth year running Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust was named as one of the 40 top-performing trusts in the country.
The independent study was undertaken by benchmarking company CHKS. NHS trusts across the UK submitted key information about their performance in the 12 months ending December 2005; this information was then used to benchmark them against their peers
A total of 18 performance indicators, including mortality and MRSA rates, cancelled procedures and information from patient surveys, were used to assess clinical effectiveness, outcomes, efficiency and patient-carer experience.
Offering Safer Care
The Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts provides a framework that helps trusts to focus their clinical risk management effectively. Through this, the Trust receives its insurance against negligence claims and can be measured against standards at three levels. Compliance with these standards allows the Trust to demonstrate its commitment to reducing the number of clinical errors and complications that lead to complaints and claims from patients. Implementation of these standards will also help to improve clinical practice and enhance the patient’s experience.
Having previously achieved a high score at level one, in spring 2006 the Trust was assessed at level two. This involved presenting documentary evidence across the seven standards and interviews with clinical staff. The Trust had to score at least 75% in each of the standards. The scores achieved were:
1. Learning from experience 100%
2. Response to major clinical incidents 100%
3. Advice and consent 100%
4. Health records 100%
5. Induction training and competence 100%
6. Implementation of clinical risk management 99%
7. Clinical care 90%