HC Deb 14 February 2000 vol 344 c385W
Mr. Matthew Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of in-patients are aged over (a) 65, (b) 70, (c) 75 and (d) 80 years. [108161]

Mr. Denham

The table shows numbers of admissions by age and are expressed as a proportion of all admissions in NHS hospitals in England for the financial year 1997–98.

Number of admissions shown by age and expressed as a proportion of all admissions in NHS hospitals, England, 1997–98.
Age group (years) Admissions Proportion of all admissions
Over 65 3,061,773 29.3
Over 70 2,393,274 22.9
Over 75 1,679,226 16.0
Over 80 1,003,300 9.6
All ages 10,463,971 100.0

The information is extracted from the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) system. HES contains details of patients admitted to, and treated in, NHS hospitals in England.

The HES data shown are the number of admissions to hospital. It is not yet possible to count each individual patient once and once only.

Figures for 1997–98 are provisional as no adjustments have yet been made for missing records or invalid/unknown diagnoses.