UK: NHS Choices to publish mortality rates

The UK government’s flaghship health site, NHS Choices is to start publishing hospitals’ standardised mortality ratios on its website. The site already publishes generalised mortality rates for heart surgery and operations such as hip and knee surgery. eHealth Insider reports that within the next few weeks, doctors and patients will be able to access much more specific information. The HSMR figures will show how many people died, in comparison with how many would be expected to die. According to the Department of Health, the information is intended to help patients choose hospitals for treatment and to help doctors see how well their peers are performing.