TIMES ONLINE 2009.11.30
The NHS regulator was accused of being toothless after refusing to take fresh action against the worst hospitals identified in a new guide.
The dispute followed a report in which at least 12 trusts in England were criticised for significantly underperforming on standards such as patient safety and infection control. Dr Foster, a private company that works with the NHS, also highlighted a further 27 hospital trusts that were found to have unusually high mortality rates, resulting in an estimated 5,000 avoidable deaths last year.