The East End’s NHS trust is faring better than neighbouring ones in assessing patients for blood clots – the UK’s biggest hospital killer.
In the last three months of last year, 74 per cent of patients at Barts and The London hospitals were assessed for their risk of developing thrombosis, compared to 68 per cent nationally.
But the trust, which runs The Royal London, the London Chest and Barts, is still falling short of the government target of 90 per cent.
Of almost 55,000 admissions to the hospitals last year, just over 40,000 patients were checked for blood clots.
Neighbouring trusts Newham University Hospital, Homerton University Hospital and Whipps Cross University Hospital all failed to reach the national average with Newham only recording a 13 per cent assessment rate.
Thrombosis charity Lifeblood said blood clots are the immediate cause of death in a tenth of all patients who die in hospital or within the three months of being discharged.
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