Growing fears of Bolton hospital death rate 'cover up' In 2011 some 800 patients - not all of whom died - were recorded as having septicaemia, four times that expected for a hospital of its size. The same year death rates came down from being well above average, to below average. Dr Foster has concluded that 76 of 150 it analysed did not "meet national standards." Of these, 69 were the result of a retrospective clinical validation process, said a spokesman. Dr Wirin Bhatiani, a local GP who helped first raise the issue, said: "The final report confirms that clinical coding of sepsis is of concern." He added: "This report looked at the quality of the coding process; we now need medical input to understand how and why this happened, and to understand if the coding was clinically appropriate." Dr Bhatiani represents the Bolton NHS clinical commissioning group (CCG), which pays for many hospital services. A CCG spokesman said: "As a result of the report's findings and recommendations, we are now supporting a further clinical review to understand the implications of Dr Foster's findings from a clinical perspective." David Wakefield, chairman of the trust, said: "We are pleased that the report raises no concerns about standards of treatment and care. We want to ensure that trust's coding validation process meets the highest quality standards and have agreed with the CCG the remit of an independent clinical review.