An emergency laparotomy is urgent surgery on the abdomen, usually on the bowel, for problems such as a blocked or torn bowel, bleeding or serious infection such as peritonitis. Many patients are older or very unwell, and it is one of the highest-risk operations hospitals carry out.
You do not choose the hospital for emergency surgery. The National Emergency Laparotomy Audit (NELA) publishes each hospital's death rate within 30 days, adjusted for how ill patients were, together with the range that would be expected for a hospital of that size (funnel limits).
Hospitals in the North West
25 hospitals in the North West with published figures. Sorted by name. This is not a ranking: read how to read this first.
| Hospital | Volume bandEmergency laparotomies, NELA year 11 | Key outcome30-day deaths (risk-adjusted) and NELA funnel limits | Waiting timeWhole trust | Patient experience | CQC rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arrowe Park HospitalNHS · Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | 100 to 149146 emergency laparotomies in NELA year 11 (December 2023 to November 2024) | 5.52%Within the 95% funnel limits95% limits for a hospital of this size: 3.6% to 13.1%More measures
| Not applicable (emergency care) | About the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 8.3 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Requires improvement (CQC report for Arrowe Park Hospital) |
| Blackpool Victoria HospitalNHS · Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 100 to 149118 emergency laparotomies in NELA year 11 (December 2023 to November 2024) | 5.79%Within the 95% funnel limits95% limits for a hospital of this size: 3.1% to 13.8%More measures
| Not applicable (emergency care) | About the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 8.3 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Requires improvement (CQC report for Blackpool Victoria Hospital) |
| The ChristieNHS · The Christie NHS Foundation Trust | Fewer than 7546 emergency laparotomies in NELA year 11 (December 2023 to November 2024) | 2.38%Within the 95% funnel limits95% limits for a hospital of this size: 0.1% to 18%More measures
| Not applicable (emergency care) | Much better than expectedInpatients rated their overall experience 9.2 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Good (CQC report for The Christie) |
| The Countess of Chester HospitalNHS · Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation TrustOnly 67% of the hospital's eligible emergency laparotomies were entered in the audit (case ascertainment), so these figures may not represent all patients. | 75 to 9983 emergency laparotomies in NELA year 11 (December 2023 to November 2024) | 7.39%Within the 95% funnel limits95% limits for a hospital of this size: 2.1% to 15.1%More measures
| Not applicable (emergency care) | About the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 8.3 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Requires improvement (CQC report for The Countess of Chester Hospital) |
| Cumberland InfirmaryNHS · North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust | 100 to 149147 emergency laparotomies in NELA year 11 (December 2023 to November 2024) | 8.6%Within the 95% funnel limits95% limits for a hospital of this size: 3.6% to 13.1%More measures
| Not applicable (emergency care) | About the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 8.3 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Requires improvement (CQC report for Cumberland Infirmary) |
| Furness General HospitalNHS · University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust | Fewer than 7573 emergency laparotomies in NELA year 11 (December 2023 to November 2024) | 5.31%Within the 95% funnel limits95% limits for a hospital of this size: 1.7% to 15.6%More measures
| Not applicable (emergency care) | About the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 8.3 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Requires improvement (CQC report for Furness General Hospital) |
| Leighton HospitalNHS · Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 100 to 149131 emergency laparotomies in NELA year 11 (December 2023 to November 2024) | 6.02%Within the 95% funnel limits95% limits for a hospital of this size: 3.3% to 13.5%More measures
| Not applicable (emergency care) | About the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 8.1 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Requires improvement (CQC report for Leighton Hospital) |
| Macclesfield District General HospitalNHS · East Cheshire NHS Trust | 75 to 9987 emergency laparotomies in NELA year 11 (December 2023 to November 2024) | 7.39%Within the 95% funnel limits95% limits for a hospital of this size: 2.3% to 14.8%More measures
| Not applicable (emergency care) | Somewhat worse than expectedInpatients rated their overall experience 7.8 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Requires improvement (CQC report for Macclesfield District General Hospital) |
| Manchester Royal InfirmaryNHS · Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust | 100 to 149110 emergency laparotomies in NELA year 11 (December 2023 to November 2024) | 7.8%Within the 95% funnel limits95% limits for a hospital of this size: 2.9% to 14%More measures
| Not applicable (emergency care) | About the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 8.3 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Requires improvement (CQC report for Manchester Royal Infirmary) |
| New Royal Liverpool UniversityNHS · Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 150 or more214 emergency laparotomies in NELA year 11 (December 2023 to November 2024) | 7.94%Within the 95% funnel limits95% limits for a hospital of this size: 4.4% to 12.2%More measures
| Not applicable (emergency care) | About the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 8.1 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | No Approved Rating (CQC report for New Royal Liverpool University) |
| North Manchester General HospitalNHS · Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust | Fewer than 7559 emergency laparotomies in NELA year 11 (December 2023 to November 2024) | 9.46%Within the 95% funnel limits95% limits for a hospital of this size: 0.9% to 16.6%More measures
| Not applicable (emergency care) | About the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 8.3 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Requires improvement (CQC report for North Manchester General Hospital) |
| Royal Albert Edward InfirmaryNHS · Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 100 to 149138 emergency laparotomies in NELA year 11 (December 2023 to November 2024) | 10.33%Within the 95% funnel limits95% limits for a hospital of this size: 3.5% to 13.3%More measures
| Not applicable (emergency care) | About the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 8 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Requires improvement (CQC report for Royal Albert Edward Infirmary) |
| Royal Blackburn HospitalNHS · East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust | 150 or more227 emergency laparotomies in NELA year 11 (December 2023 to November 2024) | 8.98%Within the 95% funnel limits95% limits for a hospital of this size: 4.5% to 12.1%More measures
| Not applicable (emergency care) | About the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 7.9 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Good (CQC report for Royal Blackburn Hospital) |
| Royal Bolton HospitalNHS · Bolton NHS Foundation Trust | 150 or more153 emergency laparotomies in NELA year 11 (December 2023 to November 2024) | 5.25%Within the 95% funnel limits95% limits for a hospital of this size: 3.7% to 13%More measures
| Not applicable (emergency care) | Somewhat worse than expectedInpatients rated their overall experience 7.8 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Good (CQC report for Royal Bolton Hospital) |
| Royal Lancaster InfirmaryNHS · University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust | 100 to 149104 emergency laparotomies in NELA year 11 (December 2023 to November 2024) | 6.68%Within the 95% funnel limits95% limits for a hospital of this size: 2.8% to 14.2%More measures
| Not applicable (emergency care) | About the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 8.3 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Good (CQC report for Royal Lancaster Infirmary) |
| Royal Oldham HospitalNHS · Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation TrustOnly 55% of the hospital's eligible emergency laparotomies were entered in the audit (case ascertainment), so these figures may not represent all patients. | 100 to 149134 emergency laparotomies in NELA year 11 (December 2023 to November 2024) | 7.63%Within the 95% funnel limits95% limits for a hospital of this size: 3.4% to 13.4%More measures
| Not applicable (emergency care) | About the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 8.3 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | No Approved Rating (CQC report for Royal Oldham Hospital) |
| Royal Preston HospitalNHS · Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustOnly 49% of the hospital's eligible emergency laparotomies were entered in the audit (case ascertainment), so these figures may not represent all patients. | 75 to 9981 emergency laparotomies in NELA year 11 (December 2023 to November 2024) | 8.37%Within the 95% funnel limits95% limits for a hospital of this size: 2% to 15.2%More measures
| Not applicable (emergency care) | Worse than expectedInpatients rated their overall experience 7.7 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Requires improvement (CQC report for Royal Preston Hospital) |
| Salford Royal HospitalNHS · Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust | 100 to 149129 emergency laparotomies in NELA year 11 (December 2023 to November 2024) | 4.18%Within the 95% funnel limits95% limits for a hospital of this size: 3.3% to 13.5%More measures
| Not applicable (emergency care) | About the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 8.3 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Requires improvement (CQC report for Salford Royal Hospital) |
| Southport and Formby District General HospitalNHS · Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust | 75 to 9986 emergency laparotomies in NELA year 11 (December 2023 to November 2024) | 7.33%Within the 95% funnel limits95% limits for a hospital of this size: 2.3% to 14.9%More measures
| Not applicable (emergency care) | About the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 8.3 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Requires improvement (CQC report for Southport and Formby District General Hospital) |
| Stepping Hill HospitalNHS · Stockport NHS Foundation Trust | 150 or more158 emergency laparotomies in NELA year 11 (December 2023 to November 2024) | 1.56%Below the lower 95% funnel limit95% limits for a hospital of this size: 3.8% to 12.9%More measures
| Not applicable (emergency care) | About the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 8.1 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Requires improvement (CQC report for Stepping Hill Hospital) |
| Tameside General HospitalNHS · Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust | 75 to 9985 emergency laparotomies in NELA year 11 (December 2023 to November 2024) | 11.53%Within the 95% funnel limits95% limits for a hospital of this size: 2.2% to 15%More measures
| Not applicable (emergency care) | About the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 7.9 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Good (CQC report for Tameside General Hospital) |
| University Hospital AintreeNHS · Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 100 to 149111 emergency laparotomies in NELA year 11 (December 2023 to November 2024) | 9.74%Within the 95% funnel limits95% limits for a hospital of this size: 2.9% to 14%More measures
| Not applicable (emergency care) | About the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 8.1 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Requires improvement (CQC report for University Hospital Aintree) |
| Warrington HospitalNHS · Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 100 to 149110 emergency laparotomies in NELA year 11 (December 2023 to November 2024) | 11.1%Within the 95% funnel limits95% limits for a hospital of this size: 2.9% to 14%More measures
| Not applicable (emergency care) | About the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 7.9 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Good (CQC report for Warrington Hospital) |
| Whiston HospitalNHS · Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS TrustOnly 61% of the hospital's eligible emergency laparotomies were entered in the audit (case ascertainment), so these figures may not represent all patients. | 100 to 149139 emergency laparotomies in NELA year 11 (December 2023 to November 2024) | 10.1%Within the 95% funnel limits95% limits for a hospital of this size: 3.5% to 13.3%More measures
| Not applicable (emergency care) | About the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 8.3 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Not Rated (CQC report for Whiston Hospital) |
| Wythenshawe HospitalNHS · Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust | 100 to 149123 emergency laparotomies in NELA year 11 (December 2023 to November 2024) | 5.01%Within the 95% funnel limits95% limits for a hospital of this size: 3.2% to 13.7%More measures
| Not applicable (emergency care) | About the same as other trustsInpatients rated their overall experience 8.3 out of 10 (CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025, whole trust) | Requires improvement (CQC report for Wythenshawe Hospital) |
How to read this
- Not a ranking. The table is in alphabetical order. A higher volume does not on its own mean better care, and we do not combine the columns into a score.
- Volume bands. Cut points are the lower quartile, median and upper quartile of all 172 hospitals in the NELA year 11 table in the published table, rounded. So about a quarter of hospitals in the NELA year 11 table fall in each band. The exact number is shown under the band.
- Risk adjustment. Where a figure says “adjusted”, the audit has allowed for differences in the patients each hospital treats, such as age and other illnesses. Hospitals that take on more complex cases can still look different for reasons the adjustment does not capture.
- Bands and limits. We only say a result is higher or lower than expected when the source itself says so (for example NJR outlier status, NELA funnel limits, SSNAP levels, CQC survey bands). Where the source publishes a rate without limits we show the rate and the national figure, and say “No banding published”.
- Small numbers. A small hospital can have 0% or a high percentage by chance. Figures the source suppresses are shown as “Not published (small numbers)”.
- Trust or hospital. Volumes and outcomes here are for each hospital or team, but waiting times and the CQC inpatient survey are for the whole trust.
- Different periods. Each figure has its own period, shown next to it. Audit results describe operations done one to three years ago; waiting times are updated monthly.
- Talk to your GP or consultant about what the figures mean for you. If you are referred for planned care in England, you can usually choose your hospital.
Full definitions: methodology and data dictionary.
Data sources and licences
- National Emergency Laparotomy Audit (NELA) Year 11 hospital table and outlier table, NELA (Royal College of Anaesthetists) for HQIP. Source: National Emergency Laparotomy Audit (NELA) Year 11 report, RCoA / HQIP, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
- CQC Adult Inpatient Survey 2025 (trust benchmark results), Care Quality Commission. Source: Care Quality Commission, NHS Patient Survey Programme, Adult Inpatient Survey 2025. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Open Government Licence v3.0
- CQC ratings, Care Quality Commission. CQC ratings: Care Quality Commission. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Open Government Licence v3.0
- Healthcare-associated infections: annual counts and rates by trust (financial year 2025 to 2026), UK Health Security Agency. Source: UK Health Security Agency, healthcare-associated infection annual data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Open Government Licence v3.0
Data last updated 26 October 2026. We do not change the published figures; we only group volumes into bands. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
Sources
We checked this guide against these official pages on 26 October 2026.
- NELA: information for patients and the public (National Emergency Laparotomy Audit)
- Peritonitis (NHS website)
- National Emergency Laparotomy Audit: eleventh annual report (NELA)
- Adult inpatient survey (Care Quality Commission)
Spotted something out of date? Tell us.