§ Mr. FearnTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his policy towards the publication of death lists for individual hospitals; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. CurrieData are not available centrally for deaths in individual hospitals. We have no objection to the publication of such data locally, but it is important that they should be interpreted in the light of local circumstances, taking account of the type of hospital and the age, sex and medical condition of the patients concerned.
As regards data at district health authority level, it is intended to include in the next national performance indicator package mortality rates for deaths anywhere in the district from selected conditions. Such data have been included in the past in the indicator package produced by Inter-Authority Comparisons and Consultancy at the Birmingham health services management centre. Consideration is also being given to the introduction in the national indicator package of data at health authority level on deaths in hospital by specialty.
§ Mr. FearnTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what action he proposes to take in the light of the report entitled "Hospital Deaths—The Missing Link" by Paul Kind, concerning the detailed death rates in regional health authorities, a copy of which has been sent to him; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. CurrieWe are studying the report carefully and will take it into account in our consideration of how to improve the assessment of the outcome of health care. As the report makes clear, there are considerable difficulties in interpreting this type of data and conclusions can be drawn only after detailed local inquiry. Certain proposals along the lines suggested by the report are already under consideration following consultation on the contents of the next national performance indicator package.