The hospitals where risk of post-operative death is highest

Queen Elizabeth Hospital has to improve its surgical services, the Hospital Authority said yesterday as it released its annual report on the outcomes of operations.

The hospital at King's Park in Kowloon was listed among the public hospitals with the highest risk-adjusted mortality rates in both elective and emergency operations, the Surgical Outcomes Monitoring and Improvement Programme report revealed.

While programme director Dr Yuen Wai-cheung declined to disclose individual hospitals' mortality rates, the report stated that out of 24,244 patients who underwent surgery in the city's public hospitals last year, 608 died within 30 days after their operation. The crude mortality rate - before it is adjusted for operation risks - was 2.5 per cent, slightly lower than the 2.8 per cent in 2011.

Nearly 80 per cent of the operations performed were elective and the rest were emergency ones.

The crude mortality rate for elective operations last year was 0.7 per cent, the same as the previous year, while that of emergency operations was 9.1 per cent, lower than 2011's 9.9 per cent.

Out of 17 public hospitals examined in the report, Queen Elizabeth and Kwong Wah Hospital in Yau Ma Tei had the highest risk-adjusted mortality rates in elective operations. Those with the highest such rates for emergency operations were Queen Elizabeth, United Hospital and Tuen Mun Hospital.