Study uncovers huge rise in A&E admissions that could be prevented

Between April 2001 and March 2013, NHS hospitals in England received more than 56 million emergency admissions, of which one in five (10.4 million) were potentially avoidable.

Patients were admitted with conditions including dehydration, urinary tract infections, complications of diabetes, angina, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) which is often linked to smoking, and ear, nose and throat infections.

Research suggests better management of people’s illness in the community and in GP surgeries could prevent some of these admissions.

The Nuffield Trust study found admissions for potentially avoidable conditions increased from 704,153 a year to just over a million a year. This accounts for an increase of 339,760 admissions for every year of the study. Rates of admission were higher in older people, children under five and those in deprived groups.

The overall finding across 150 “quality indicators” is that care in England has improved in many key areas over the past decade.

This includes “consistently low waits” for planned care, diagnostic tests, ambulance and cancer treatment.