HOSPITAL chiefs will speak to health watchdogs after Government figures revealed a rise in NHS patient deaths soon after emergency surgery in South Bucks.

Fresh statistics for 2000-2001 revealed patient deaths within 30 days of surgery have gone up by 12.5 per cent to 3,052 deaths per 100,000 patients.

This figure compares with 2,714 deaths the previous year and puts the South Bucks NHS Trust's 127 deaths per 100,000 above the national average.

Ailsa Harrison, chief officer of the Community Health Council (CHC), which looks after patients' interests across South Bucks, told the Free Press the rise was fairly small and did not give cause for alarm. She explained the council would contact the trust, which runs both Wycombe and Amersham hospitals, and added: "It's just that there has been a change and any sort of change like this has to be looked at."

The figures were released this week as part of the Department of Health's annual report into the performance of NHS health authorities across England and Wales in 2000-2001.

Overall, South Bucks NHS Trust's report showed it was equalling or beating national performance averages in most categories.

However figures also revealed 17.5 per cent of patients placed in the trust's accident and emergency department did not get a ward bed within four hours more than four per cent above the national average.

Other key figures were as follows (some figures include new information from South Bucks NHS Trust not included in the 2000-2001 report):

emergency readmission to hospital within 28 days of discharge: South Bucks 5.5 per cent; national average 6 per cent

emergency readmission to hospital within 28 days of treatment for a stroke: South Bucks 2.5 per cent; national average 7.2 per cent

percentage of written complaints for which a local resolution was completed within four weeks: South Bucks 58.7 per cent; national average 52.7 per cent

percentage of junior doctors complying in full with EU directive on working hours: South Bucks 21.2 per cent; national average 57.7 per cent.

The latest figure for October 2000 is 55 per cent

planned operations that are cancelled at the last minute for non-clinical reasons as a percentage of elective admissions: South Bucks 3.2 per cent; national average 1.6 per cent. Latest figure for January 2002 is 0.1 per cent.

Roy Darby, chief executive of the South Bucks NHS Trust, said: "

We will now be looking at this information in more detail. We will be looking particularly at those areas where we might be able to make improvements."

Martin Leaver, spokesman for the trust, said considerable improvements had been made in many areas. He said since the figures were taken the number of planned operations cancelled by the trust had fallen to 0.3 per cent for last October and just 0.1 per cent for last month.