DATA errors caused the Royal Liverpool Hospital to have the lowest accident survival rate in a countrywide study, according to NHS chiefs.

The figures released to the Trauma Audit and Research Network (TARN) by the Trust included all deaths resulting from accidents at the hospital, but not all survivors.

Hospital chiefs say this has significantly skewed the final results, which concluded 6.2 unexplained deaths were caused at the Royal per 100 patients for the three years running to December.

The Trust is in the process of sending the correct retrospective figures to TARN and has changed the way it now records the data.

Only 60% of hospitals which deal with major trauma submitted data nationally.

The TARN figures were used in a National Audit Office report addressing treatment of accident victims.

The report concluded that nationally there is too much variation in treatment and many people die because cover at the weekends and overnight is not good enough.

But Medical Director at the Royal, Peter Williams, said the hospital has some of the best A&E staffing cover in the region. He added: “The level of cover at the Royal Liverpool is one of the best in the region.

“Consultants are present in the department until 10pm during the week, two consultants work 10-hour shifts on Saturday and Sunday and there is a 24- hour senior presence at registrar level and above.

“The CT scanner is within the department which is unusual and means people get scanned immediately.”