Many of the fourteen separate hospital trusts facing a lengthy investigation into high mortality rates following the Mid-Staffordshire scandal will be demanded to provide explanations after an inquiry found that over 3,000 patients may have needlessly died in just a 12-month period. After the publication of a shocking report into the serious deficiencies and ‘appalling’ failings at Mid-Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, NHS England medical director Professor Sir Bruce Keogh began an inquiry into numerous other trusts due to suspiciously high death rates. Before the latest figures emerged this week, around 450 excess deaths were found to have occurred between 2005 and 2008 at Mid-Staffordshire. Eight of the trusts investigated after the Mid-Staffordshire report emerged were discovered to have ‘higher than expected’ death rates. The Summary Hospital Level Indicator (SHMI) for the 12-months after October 2011 shows five of the trusts under scrutiny are ‘repeat outliers’, with death rates higher than would be expected for two consecutive years. Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust, Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Tameside Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and the Blackpool trust were all deemed as having higher than expected death rates from October 2010 to October 2012. In total, these five trusts had amassed a total of nearly 1,500 more deaths than expected between just 2011 and 2012 - according to the figures released by the Health and Social Care Information Centre. The most shocking of statistics emanate from Blackpool Teaching Hospitals. From October 2011 to October 2012, approximately 1,947 deaths were expected. However, by the end of this period there was actually a death toll of 2,357 – 410 more than first anticipated. However, some officials have warned that the compiled data is just ‘experimental’ and the figures should only serve as a ‘smoke alarm’. Sir Bruce said: “A higher than expected mortality rate does not in itself tell us that a hospital is unsafe, for example, units delivering highly complex and specialist care could legitimately have higher mortality rates. It is, however, a warning light that suggests trusts should investigate further to identify and resolve any care quality issues. We want consistently high performing hospitals across the NHS. Hospitals with persistently high Summary Hospital Mortality Indicator scores are currently under review.” So how do the fourteen hospitals under investigation compare to each other? They are as follows: Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Latest SMHI rating: higher than expected - a repeat outlier Observed deaths: 1,954 Expected deaths: 1,714.6409 Difference: 239.3591 Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Latest SMHI rating: higher than expected - a repeat outlier Observed deaths: 2,357 Expected deaths: 1,946.7956 Difference: 410.2044 Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust Latest SMHI rating: higher than expected Observed deaths: 1,788 Expected deaths: 1,553.0346 Difference: 234.9654 Burton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Latest SMHI rating: as expected Observed deaths: 1,247 Expected deaths: 1,262.3652 Difference: 15.3652 fewer deaths than expected Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust Latest SMHI rating: higher than expected - a repeat outlier Observed deaths: 2,174 Expected deaths: 1,854.6328 Difference: 319.3672 East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust Latest SMHI rating: higher than expected Observed deaths: 2,630 Expected deaths: 2,310.2554 Difference: 319.7446 George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust Latest SMHI rating: as expected Observed deaths: 978 Expected deaths: 891.3849 Difference: 86.6151 Medway NHS Foundation Trust Latest SMHI rating: higher than expected Observed deaths: 1,707 Expected deaths: 1,505.3115 Difference: 201.6885 North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust Latest SMHI rating: as expected Observed deaths: 1,668 Expected deaths: 1,510.8156 Difference: 157.1844 Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Latest SMHI rating: higher than expected - a repeat outlier Observed deaths: 2,236 Expected deaths: 1,938.045 Difference: 297.955 Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Latest SMHI rating: as expected Observed deaths: 1,821 Expected deaths: 1,688.1848 Difference: 132.8152 Tameside Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Latest SMHI rating: higher than expected - a repeat outlier Observed deaths: 1,375 Expected deaths: 1,165.294 Difference: 209.706 The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust Latest SMHI rating: as expected Observed deaths: 2,092 Expected deaths: 2,008.4612 Difference: 83.5388 United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust Latest SMHI rating: as expected Observed deaths: 3,560 Expected deaths: 3,240.782 Difference: 319.218