BELFORD Hospital has the highest rate in Scotland of people dying within 30 days of being admitted, despite an overall reduction nationwide, writes Neill Bo Finlayson. Figures released from the Scottish Government show that for the period July to September 2017, Belford Hospital had a significantly higher mortality rate than the national average and was the highest in the country.
Across Scotland, there were 6,084 deaths within 30 days of hospital admission during the 2017 period – 14 per cent fewer than predicted – while there has been a 10.6 per cent decrease in the mortality rate overall since 2014. This means that the Scottish Government’s target to cut the mortality rate by 10 per cent between 2014 and 2018 has already been met.
Belford Hospital in Fort William, however, is an exception to the trend, measuring a ratio that is almost double the national average.