Both the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead and Whittington Hospital in Archway have been named in a list of 15 hospital trusts across the UK as having mortality rates that are consistently lower than would be expected.

Ham & High: The Whittington is trying to cut down on its use of agency staff. Picture: Nigel SuttonThe Whittington is trying to cut down on its use of agency staff. Picture: Nigel Sutton (Image: � Nigel Sutton)

An independent report, published recently by the Health and Social Care Information Centre, showed that mortality rates for both elective and emergency admissions at the hospitals were lower than the overall rates for England.

The pair were named in a list of 15 other health trusts in England with lower than expected ratios between July 2013 and June 2014.

This is out of a total of 137 trusts included in the report.

The report was based on summary hospital-level mortality indicator (SHMI) data.

The SHMI compares the number of patients who die following hospitalisation at a trust with the number who would be expected to die, given the characteristics of the patients treated there.

Professor Stephen Powis, medical director at the Royal Free, said: “This is very reassuring news for our patients. We are incredibly proud to have low mortality rates, which are a reflection on the high standards of clinical care delivered by our staff.”

While the report mentions data for the Whittington Hospital is incomplete and should therefore be “treated with caution”, the hospital said it was still a cause for celebration.

Dr Richard Jennings, medical director at Whittington Health, said: “We are very proud of our strong reputation for providing safe patient care and we are proud to have one of the lowest death rates in England in the Summary Hospital-level Mortality Indicator (SHMI).

“The indicator shows mortality rates at the hospital and in the weeks after discharge. Our ranking is testament to the excellent care provided by our staff both at The Whittington Hospital and in the community.

“We are committed to providing better coordinated care in the hospital and community, and will continue to strive for safe care for our patients.”