Lower mortality rate target met one year ahead of schedule in hospitals

The mortality rate at Scotland’s hospitals has fallen by more than 10 per cent since 2014.

The Scottish Government said there were 7,800 fewer deaths between January and March 2014 and July and September 2017 – a drop of 10.6 per cent.

The latest figures show there were 6,084 deaths within 30 days of hospital admission between July and September last year – 14 per cent fewer than predicted.

One hospital – Belford Hospital in Fort William – had a standardised mortality ratio 0 Health Secretary Shona Robison hailed safety drive significantly higher than the national average across this period.

Glasgow’s Western General, Crosshouse Hospital near Kilmarnock and Wishaw Gener- al Hospital in North Lanarkshire all recorded standardised mortality ratios significantly lower than the Scottish average.

The percentage fall means a Scottish Government target to cut the mortality rate by 10 per cent between 2014 and 2018 has already been beaten.

Health Secretary Shona Robison credited this to the Scottish Patient Safety Programme, a drive to improve the safety and reliability of hospital care.

The revised target was set and methodology changed following a failure to hit a previous target of a 20 per cent reduction by December 2015 by 3.5 per cent.