THE number of deaths at the Royal Bolton Hospital last year was one of the lowest figures in the north west.

There were 1,333 deaths at the hospital between May 2014 and April 2015 meaning crude mortality – the actual percentage of patient deaths – was 2.2 per cent.

This is a slight rise on the 2.1 per cent reported in the previous financial year but otherwise is a continued drop from 3.1 per cent in 2008/9 to 2.4 per cent in 2012/13.

The average number of deaths each day was spread fairly evenly across the week, with the highest rate – 16 per cent – reported on Mondays and the lowest rate – 12 per cent – found on Sundays.

The top three causes of mortality at the Royal Bolton Hospital – pneumonia, septicaemia and heart failure – have remained constant over the last three years, with stroke and chronic obstructive airways disease also in the top five.

There was a peak in deaths in December and January – when rates rose to an average of 3.1 per cent – with this blamed on the “national picture”.

A report on mortality rates at the hospital was presented to the Bolton NHS Foundation Trust’s board meeting by Steve Hodgson, medical director.

In his report, he said: “Crude mortality rates for the trust have improved steadily over the last five years. We continue to compare favourably with North West trusts and have shown improvements better than North West and national performance.”

For crude deaths last year Bolton had one of the lowest rates of all the trusts, second only to Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

As well as measuring crude deaths, the trust also monitors deaths using ratios which attempt to allow for individual patients’ risk factors, such as their medical history.

Chiefs review the national summary hospital mortality indicator (SHMI) – the ratio between the number of deaths at the trust and the number expected to die based on England averages.

The trust’s SHMI for October 2013 to September 2014, the most recent figures available, was 107.2 – putting it in the expected range and 16th out of 35 non-teaching hospital acute trusts in the North.

Hospital bosses want the trust to be in the top 20 per cent for crude mortality and SHMI by the end of 2016 and said performance had been good but “rather static”.

Mr Hodgson’s report states: “We have not yet made the significant improvement in performance required to meet our ambitious targets.”

It adds: “We know that a large proportion of hospital deaths are unavoidable.

“In those cases it is important that we recognise when patients are reaching the end of life and implement priorities of care for the dying person.

“We aim to increase the proportion of Bolton people dying in their usual place of residence from the current 42 per cent to 45 per cent.”