Data from health analysts Dr Foster, reveals a huge increase in deaths deemed to be "palliative" at a number of prominent NHS Trusts.
Figures for Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust show a 30.47% increase between 2008 and 2012. King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust recorded a 29.65% increase and the North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust, a 26.72% increase.
It has been suggested that these record increases are in fact an attempt by hospitals to cover up death rate figures by claiming that patients were terminally ill.
The former Chief Executive of the former United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust is quoted in The Telegraph as stating "In the NHS, if it looks like a trust is fiddling the numbers it probably is."
Mark Bowman, partner in Field Fisher Waterhouse's clinical negligence team commented "The Dr Foster analysis makes for worrying reading. It is important that a thorough examination is conducted to ensure that patients are given accurate figures as to death rates at hospitals. With accurate data it is to be hoped that steps will be taken to ensure those hospitals with abnormally high death rates improve the service that they are providing to patients."
The former Chief Executive of the former United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust is quoted in The Telegraph as stating "In the NHS, if it looks like a trust is fiddling the numbers it probably is."
Mark Bowman, partner in Field Fisher Waterhouse's clinical negligence team commented "The Dr Foster analysis makes for worrying reading. It is important that a thorough examination is conducted to ensure that patients are given accurate figures as to death rates at hospitals. With accurate data it is to be hoped that steps will be taken to ensure those hospitals with abnormally high death rates improve the service that they are providing to patients."