Subscribe to our newsfeed 
Media Release
Patients at the Heart of Improvements at the Trust, as an Independent Survey Confirms the Trust has an Excellent Patient Safety Record
Posted: November 30th 2009
An independent survey of hospitals by Dr Foster published today (30 November 2009) gave a high patient safety rating for the West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust.
Based on a composite of thirteen safety indicators the West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust was awarded a band 4 rating, with band 5 being the highest rating overall.
Commenting on the hospital guide, Dr Colin Johnston Medical Director and Director of Patient Safety said: "This is excellent news for our patients. Patient safety is our number one priority and I am delighted we have scored very high on patient safety in the Hospital Guide. The Hospital Standardised Mortality Ratio (HSMR) rates in the Trust are now significantly below the national average, both overall and in each of medicine, surgery and obstetrics."
Dr Johnston added: "Nonetheless, we are not complacent and we are doing everything we can to improve our services even further. We are determined to maintain and improve our overall rating and will look at the Guide in depth in order to use the data to improve our services even further for the benefit of our patients."
The report also singled out for particular praise the Trust’s gall bladder surgical techniques, which means the Trust is performing less invasive surgical procedures than the national average, which is an indicator of a positive patient experience.
Ends:
Notes to Editors:
- The HSMR rates at the moment are 78.2 out of an average of 100.
- Our Maternity Services are amongst the best and safest in the country.
- The recent Care Quality Commission’s Annual Health Check showed a further improvement in the Trust’s overall performance compared to previous years with a rating of Fair (the quality of its services) and Good (the use of its resources).
- Waiting times for patients have been reduced, with most people seen and treated within 18 weeks of referral to the hospital. Infection has been reduced to almost zero.
For more information please contact the Press Office on 01923 436282
