Ten per cent of deaths in hospitals may be caused by deficient care, delegates at a London conference were told last week.

This estimate comes from the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement, which has been running a project implementing a range of safety measures in certain hospitals. The project has resulted in a 10% reduction in the number of deaths.

The institute identified certain causes of death that could be tackled. They ranged from incorrect administration of drugs and faulty surgical procedures to postoperative deep vein thrombosis and hospital acquired infections. It identified opiates and warfarin as drugs carrying …