FEWER patients are dying at Southampton hospitals, it has been revealed.

Figures showed that the number of deaths at the hospitals in the city in the last year has been lower than the number expected.

The figures revealed by NHS Digital showed that 2,964 people who were either in hospital or outside hospital within 30 days of being discharged died between April 2016 and March 2017.

The figure is below the expected number, which is 3113.

This comes after the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust (UHS) has been listed among the 108 across the country with a rate of deaths deemed “as expected”.

Fiona Dalton, chief executive at UHS said: “I am so proud of the achievements and progress being made in patient safety by staff across our organisation on a daily basis.”

The expected number of deaths is calculated from statistical models derived to estimate the risk of mortality based on the characteristics of the patients including the condition the patient is in hospital for and other underlying conditions the patient suffers from.

Harry Dymond, chairman of Healthwatch Southampton, a patients association in the city, said: “The values for University Hospitals Southampton Foundation Trust show an actual mortality lower than expected. It is tempting therefore to conclude that Southampton is doing better than the national picture but as with all statistics the data is subject to confidence limits and although it is good that the figures are lower, they fall in the expected range. “We are aware and are pleased that Southampton has an internal medical examiners group (IMEG) that examines the notes and discusses the care of every patient who dies at UHS looking for both good care practice but also any areas that could be improved escalating any issues for more detailed scrutiny.”

Among the 108 trusts across the country with a rate of deaths deemed “as expected” there is also the Hampshire Hospital NHS Foundation Trusts.

That includes Andover War Memorial Hospital, Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital and the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester.

However, the number of deaths occurred at the hospitals part of the Hampshire Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is 1995 while the number of deaths expected is 1906.

The Daily Echo contacted the trusts but they were not able to provide a comment when the Echo went to press.