HC Deb 13 January 2004 vol 416 cc710-1W
Sandra Gidley

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of discharged patients aged 75 years and over were readmitted within one month as emergencies in each quarter since 1997. [147308]

Dr. Ladyman

The Department collects information on emergency re-admissions to hospital within 28 days of discharge. Between 1997 and 2002, this information was collected for those patients aged 75 and over.

Monitoring information is now collected on an all ages basis to avoid perverse incentives that could lead to older people being denied care in hospital when this is necessary.

The information requested is shown in the tables.

Financial year Quarter Number of

people aged

75 and over

discharged

from hospital

Number of

people aged 75

and over

readmitted as an

emergency within 28 days of

discharge

Rate of 28 day

emergency

readmission for

people aged

over 75 (%)

2003–04 Q2
2003–04 Q1
2002–03 Q4
2002–03 Q3
2002–03 Q2
2002–03 Q1
2001–02 Q4 437,034 31,493 7.2
2001–02 Q3 429,124 31,427 7.3
2001–02 Q2 422,143 30,083 7.1
2001–02 Q1 408,817 29,878 7.3
2000–01 Q4 409,335 31,538 7.7
2000–01 Q3 411,137 29,896 7.3
2000–01 Q2 406,761 28,820 7.1
2000–01 01 390,010 28,735 7.4
1999–2000 Q4 377.277 28,611 7.6
1999–2000 Q3 368,244 26,523 7.2
1999–2000 Q2 368,329 26,758 7.3
1999–2000 Q1 346,079 26,702 7.7
1998–99 Q4 365,801 29,933 8.2
1998–99 Q3 361,266 29,110 8.1
1998–99 Q2 357,275 28,839 8.1
1998–99 Q1 342,787 29,213 8.5
1997–98 Q4 343,170 24,435 7.1
1997–98 Q3 335,188 23,771 7.1
1997–98 Q2 333,781 22,385 6.7
1997–98 Q1 326,996 23,557 7.2
1996–97 Q4 339,389 23,625 7.0
Financial year Quarter Number of

people of all

ages

discharged

from hospital

Number of

people of all ages

readmitted as an

emergency within 28 days of

discharge

Rate of 28 day

emergency

readmission for

people of all

ages (%)

2003–04 Q2 2,405,479 131,981 5.5
2003–04 Q1 2,402,573 135,153 5.6
2002–03 Q4 2,501,481 138,742 5.5
2002–03 Q3 2,429,606 131.704 5.4
2002–03 Q2 2,334.696 124,176 5.3
2002–03 Q1 2,313,818 125.085 5.4