Information on consultant episodes with a primary alcohol-related diagnosis is only produced for admission episodes, the first episode in a hospital spell. Admission episodes accounted for 87 per cent. of all episodes in 2008-09. The following table gives the number and rate of admission episodes in England of patients with a primary alcohol-related diagnosis.
2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 Strategic health authority Number of admission Crude rate of admission per 100,000 population Number of admission Crude rate of admission per 100,000 population Number of admission Crude rate of admission per 100,000 population Number of admission Crude rate of admission per 100,000 population Number of admission Crude rate of admission per 100,000 population North East 11,398 448 11,783 462 12,264 480 12,126 473 12,554 487 North West 28,590 417 31,888 464 33,252 483 34,394 499 35,496 516 Yorkshire and the Humber 17,261 341 18,684 366 18,851 367 19,725 381 20,129 386 East Midlands 14,819 348 16,332 380 17,130 395 17,151 393 17,506 395 West Midlands 20,357 382 22,321 417 24,742 461 22,490 418 24,372 450 East of England 15,800 287 17,083 307 17,543 313 18,285 323 18,660 326 London 22,664 307 24,830 333 26,232 349 25,913 343 26,689 350 South East Coast 12,323 295 13,136 312 13,915 328 14,563 341 15,015 348 South Central 10,394 264 11,280 284 10,750 269 11,497 285 11,383 280 South West 17,469 346 18,875 371 19,567 381 20,245 391 21,051 404 Unknown/no fixed abode 2,459 n/a 3,219 n/a 3,211 n/a 4,031 n/a 3,500 n/a England 173,532 346 189,431 375 197,457 389 200,420 392 206,355 401 Notes: 1. Includes activity in English national health service hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector. 2. Alcohol-related admissions The number of alcohol-related admissions is based on the methodology developed by the North West Public Health Observatory. Figures for under 16s only include admissions where one or more of the following alcohol-specific conditions were listed: Alcoholic cardiomyopathy (142.6) Alcoholic gastritis (K29.2) Alcoholic liver disease (K70) Alcoholic myopathy (G72.1) Alcoholic polyneuropathy (G62.1) Alcohol-induced pseudo-Cushing’s syndrome (E24.4) Chronic pancreatitis (alcohol induced) (K86.0) Degeneration of nervous system due to alcohol (G31.2) Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol (F10) Accidental poisoning by and exposure to alcohol (X45) Ethanol poisoning (T51.0) Methanol poisoning (T51.1) Toxic effect of alcohol, unspecified (T51.9) 3. Ungrossed data Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed). 4. Finished admission episodes A finished admission episode is the first period of inpatient care under one consultant within one health care provider. Finished admission episodes are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. It should be noted that admissions do not represent the number of inpatients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. 5. Data quality Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts in England. Data are also received from a number of independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain. 6. Assessing growth through time HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. The quality and coverage of the data have improved over time. These improvements in information submitted by the NHS have been particularly marked in the earlier years and need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. Some of the increase in figures for later years (particularly 2006-07 onwards) may be due to the improvement in the coverage of independent sector activity. Changes in NHS practice also need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. For example, a number of procedures may now be undertaken in outpatient settings and may no longer be accounted for in the HES data. This may account for any reductions in activity over time. 7. Assignment of Episodes to Years Years are assigned by the end of the first period of care in a patient’s hospital stay. 8. n/a = not available. Source: HES, The Information Centre for health and social care.