Letter: Hospital deaths
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sir: Your report and leading article on NHS league tables (17 June) are well judged and most welcome.
A fundamental flaw in the Government's approach is to report only in- hospital deaths following surgery. In-hospital deaths not following surgery are not reported. In other words, patients who lost their lives because they did not receive life-saving surgery are not included in these figures.
Also, the unreported high mortality in cancer wards where patients are admitted with end-stage disease must be considerable in parts of the UK lacking proper hospice facilities.
We should turn away from our fascination and obsession with the concept that the only remarkable in-patient deaths are those that occur after surgery. The pill or its omission is as effective and as dangerous as the knife or its omission when the patient dies as a result.
M ADISESHIAH FRCS
University College Hospital
London WC1
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments