We have made no estimate of the number, or cost, of in-patient and out-patient attendances for rheumatology.
However, the total number of ordinary, and day case admissions, to hospital where the main consultant specialty is recorded as rheumatology is given in the following table.
Day case Ordinary 2006-07 62,707 31,577 2005-06 56,938 32,277 2004-05 53,183 31,530 2003-04 49,003 31,440 2002-03 41,003 32,279 2001-02 33,041 34,056 2000-01 30,331 35,524 1999-2000 27,275 37,033 1998-99 24,045 36,968 1997-98 20,496 38,976 1996-97 17,538 40,053 Note: A finished admission episode is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. Finished admission episodes are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.