By . Sophie Borland and Paul Bentley . PUBLISHED: . 18:44 EST, 27 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:32 EST, 28 February 2013 . Man with no shame: Sir David Nicholson will meet senior directors from the NHS Commissioning Board . NHS hospitals last night stood accused of fiddling figures to mask the numbers of patients dying needlessly. The boss of one trust has been forced aside and experts called in to investigate a possible cover-up over death rates. And Professor Brian Jarman, a renowned specialist on hospital performance, believes several other hospitals may be doing the same. The revelations came as the chief executive of the NHS, Sir David Nicholson, prepared to meet senior bosses from the new body in charge of hospitals and health services for the first time since the Mid Staffordshire scandal report. The Bolton Foundation Trust – the focus of the latest allegations – had had one of the highest mortality rates in the country. But in 2011, the figures suddenly dropped by 10 per cent and the trust was named as one of only about 50 in the country with ‘lower than expected’ death rates. The fall was initially celebrated as evidence of improving performance but there are now concerns it was merely a statistical trick. In fact, it is feared that since 2001, an estimated 2,000-plus patients may have died unnecessarily at the trust. Yesterday it emerged that Dr Jackie Bene, the chief executive, has ‘stepped aside’ while a joint investigation is carried out by mortality experts and the local NHS body. The NHS’s medical director, Professor Bruce Keogh, said: ‘It is absolutely unacceptable for any part of the NHS to deliberately manipulate any patient information. ‘If we’re to have an open and accountable NHS, where patients and the public know how NHS hospitals are doing, those hospitals must behave openly and honestly about their performance.’ Yesterday the House of Commons heard claims that previous official reports into NHS care had been suppressed because they revealed a ‘pervasive culture of fear’. This came as the chairman of the inquiry into the Mid Staffordshire scandal called for an immediate ‘culture change’ in the NHS. The probe at Bolton Foundation Trust will consider whether staff categorised patients as dying from septicaemia – blood poisoning – when they actually died of more easily-treatable conditionsMortality rates are meant to reflect the standard of care in a hospital. As such, deaths from serious illnesses such as septicaemia and cancer do not influence figures as much as preventable deaths from hip fractures and infections. Scandal: Professor Brian Jarman (left) believes that within the last five years other hospitals have lowered their mortality rates by wrongly labelling deaths. Dr Jackie Bene (right) who has stepped aside . There is concern that preventable deaths from hip fractures or urine infections were intentionally labelled as septicaemia to lower the mortality rate. Over the last year there have been 800 cases of septicaemia when there should only have been 200 in a trust this size. Professor Jarman believes that within the last five years other hospitals have lowered their mortality rates by wrongly labelling deaths. They include Medway in Kent and George Eliot, Mid Staffordshire and Walsall in the West Midlands where mortality rates have been slashed by up to quarter in a single year. Investigation: The probe at Bolton Foundation Trust will consider whether staff categorised patients as dying from blood poisoning when they actually died of more easily treatable conditions . He said: ‘I can’t prove it because the hospitals are denying it. They keep saying it’s a coincidence.’ But he added: ‘The whole thing is appalling.’ The investigation at Bolton will go back through the records of 200 patients who died from septicaemia or were diagnosed with the condition. But experts have already looked into 50 cases and say there is ‘sufficient cause for concern.’ Today, for the first time since the Mid Staffordshire report, Sir David Nicholson will meet senior directors from the NHS Commissioning Board – the new body in charge of hospitals and health services. Relatives of patients who died at Mid Staffordshire will stage a silent protest outside the meeting in Manchester to reinforce pressure on him to resign. A spokesman for Bolton Foundation Trust said: ‘We do not believe there are any clinical concerns regarding the care of patients, but rather there are questions that need answering about how the trust reports information about their care for administrative and financial purposes.’
Sir David Nicholson will meet directors from the NHS Commissioning Board .
Relatives of patients who died at Mid Staffordshire will stage a silent protest .
The Bolton Foundation Trust had one of the highest mortality rates .
It is feared more than 2,000 patients may have died unnecessarily at the trust since 2001 .
By . Sophie Borland and Paul Bentley . PUBLISHED: . 18:44 EST, 27 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:32 EST, 28 February 2013 . Man with no shame: Sir David Nicholson will meet senior directors from the NHS Commissioning Board . NHS hospitals last night stood accused of fiddling figures to mask the numbers of patients dying needlessly. The boss of one trust has been forced aside and experts called in to investigate a possible cover-up over death rates. And Professor Brian Jarman, a renowned specialist on hospital performance, believes several other hospitals may be doing the same. The revelations came as the chief executive of the NHS, Sir David Nicholson, prepared to meet senior bosses from the new body in charge of hospitals and health services for the first time since the Mid Staffordshire scandal report. The Bolton Foundation Trust – the focus of the latest allegations – had had one of the highest mortality rates in the country. But in 2011, the figures suddenly dropped by 10 per cent and the trust was named as one of only about 50 in the country with ‘lower than expected’ death rates. The fall was initially celebrated as evidence of improving performance but there are now concerns it was merely a statistical trick. In fact, it is feared that since 2001, an estimated 2,000-plus patients may have died unnecessarily at the trust. Yesterday it emerged that Dr Jackie Bene, the chief executive, has ‘stepped aside’ while a joint investigation is carried out by mortality experts and the local NHS body. The NHS’s medical director, Professor Bruce Keogh, said: ‘It is absolutely unacceptable for any part of the NHS to deliberately manipulate any patient information. ‘If we’re to have an open and accountable NHS, where patients and the public know how NHS hospitals are doing, those hospitals must behave openly and honestly about their performance.’ Yesterday the House of Commons heard claims that previous official reports into NHS care had been suppressed because they revealed a ‘pervasive culture of fear’. This came as the chairman of the inquiry into the Mid Staffordshire scandal called for an immediate ‘culture change’ in the NHS. The probe at Bolton Foundation Trust will consider whether staff categorised patients as dying from septicaemia – blood poisoning – when they actually died of more easily-treatable conditionsMortality rates are meant to reflect the standard of care in a hospital. As such, deaths from serious illnesses such as septicaemia and cancer do not influence figures as much as preventable deaths from hip fractures and infections. Scandal: Professor Brian Jarman (left) believes that within the last five years other hospitals have lowered their mortality rates by wrongly labelling deaths. Dr Jackie Bene (right) who has stepped aside . There is concern that preventable deaths from hip fractures or urine infections were intentionally labelled as septicaemia to lower the mortality rate. Over the last year there have been 800 cases of septicaemia when there should only have been 200 in a trust this size. Professor Jarman believes that within the last five years other hospitals have lowered their mortality rates by wrongly labelling deaths. They include Medway in Kent and George Eliot, Mid Staffordshire and Walsall in the West Midlands where mortality rates have been slashed by up to quarter in a single year. Investigation: The probe at Bolton Foundation Trust will consider whether staff categorised patients as dying from blood poisoning when they actually died of more easily treatable conditions . He said: ‘I can’t prove it because the hospitals are denying it. They keep saying it’s a coincidence.’ But he added: ‘The whole thing is appalling.’ The investigation at Bolton will go back through the records of 200 patients who died from septicaemia or were diagnosed with the condition. But experts have already looked into 50 cases and say there is ‘sufficient cause for concern.’ Today, for the first time since the Mid Staffordshire report, Sir David Nicholson will meet senior directors from the NHS Commissioning Board – the new body in charge of hospitals and health services. Relatives of patients who died at Mid Staffordshire will stage a silent protest outside the meeting in Manchester to reinforce pressure on him to resign. A spokesman for Bolton Foundation Trust said: ‘We do not believe there are any clinical concerns regarding the care of patients, but rather there are questions that need answering about how the trust reports information about their care for administrative and financial purposes.’
Sir David Nicholson will meet senior directors from the NHS Commissioning Board . NHS hospitals scandal report. The Bolton Foundation Trust – the the highest mortality rates in the country. But estimated 2,000-plus patients may have died unnecessarily at the trust. Yesterday it emerged Relatives of patients who died at Mid Staffordshire will stage a silent protest outside