Royal Stoke trust is in the top ten for highest amount of coronavirus deaths
As latest figures on Covid mortality rates in hospitals are released by Public Health England, Phil Corrigan looks at the reasons University Hospitals of North Midlands is as high as ninth on the list
THE NHS trust which runs the Royal Stoke University Hospital has the ninth highest number of Covid-19 deaths in England, according to the latest figures.
University Hospitals of North Midlands had seen a total of 1,370 deaths following a positive coronavirus test, up to March 27.
Only eight hospital trusts in England have seen more patients dying with Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic.
But the number of Covid deaths at the Royal Stoke and County Hospital in Stafford, has fallen dramatically in recent weeks as the lockdown and vaccine rollout have slashed infection rates in the community and admissions to hospital.
January was UHNM’S deadliest month of the whole pandemic, with 299 patients dying following a positive test.
So far in March, there have been a total of 29 deaths, with some days seeing no Covid-19 deaths at all.
Michelle Rhodes, below, chief nurse and director of infection prevention at UHNM, said: “UHNM is one of the UK’S largest hospitals outside of London, and since the beginning of the pandemic has treated more than 4,200 inpatients for Covid-19.
“It is therefore unsurprising that we are unfortunately among some of the Trusts who have seen the highest number of Covid-19 deaths.”
The issue of Covid-related mortality rates at UHNM was discussed at this month’s trust board meeting. Professor Andrew Hassell, chairman of the quality governance committee, said: “Whereas our crude mortality was above the peer average, the fact was that UHNM patients had higher rates of comorbidity than average.
“When the hospital standardised mortality ratio methodology is used for Covid-related mortality, UHNM was below the peer average.
“I think that’s a very important assurance that was provided. It’s not a matter of complacency, but it is a benchmarking with similar trusts around Covid-associated mortality.”
According to the latest daily figures from NHS England, Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, which runs community hospitals in Staffordshire, has seen 56 Covid-19 deaths. North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare Trust has recorded 15.
Earlier this month, UHNM became one of the first trusts in the country to publish figures showing how many patients had died after catching Covid-19 at one of its hospitals. There have been 107 nosocomial coronavirus deaths since the start of the pandemic.
The NHS England figures only include coronavirus deaths which happened in hospitals.
According to Public Health England, Stoke-on-trent has seen 702 Covid-19 deaths in total, with another 2,327 in Staffordshire.