HC Deb 05 March 2004 vol 418 cc1177-8W
Mr. Burstow

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) attendances at accident and emergency and (b) admissions to hospital for fall-related injuries in people aged 60 years and over there have been in each year since 1997. [156645]

Dr. Ladyman

Centrally-held data on attendances at accident and emergency departments do not contain sufficient details to identify those who attended because of a fall. The number of people aged 60 and over who were admitted to national health service hospitals in England as a result of a fall is recorded in the Hospital Episode Statistics count of Finished Admission Episodes. The figures are shown in the table.

Finished Admission Episodes

(falls over 60)

1997–98 127,665
1998–99 127,817
1999–2000 118,567
2001–02 115,373
2002–03 120,356
Note:
A finished admission episode is the period of impatient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Total episodes are only an approximation of the total number of in-patients, as a patient may have more than one admission in a year. Figures are adjusted to compensate for both coverage and missing or invalid clinical data, except for 2001–02 and 2002–03, which are not yet adjusted in this way.