Notes:
1. Includes activity in English national health service hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector.
2. Small numbers
To protect patient confidentiality, figures between one and five have been suppressed and replaced with “*” (an asterisk). Where it was possible to identify numbers from the total due to a single suppressed number in a row or column, an additional number (the next smallest) has been suppressed.
3. Alcohol-related admissions
The number of alcohol-related admissions is based on the methodology developed by the North West Public Health Observatory (NWPHO). Following international best practice, the NWPHO methodology includes a wide range of diseases and injuries in which alcohol plays a part and estimates the proportion of cases that are attributable to the consumption of alcohol. Details of the conditions and associated proportions can be found in the report Jones et al. (2008) “Alcohol-attributable fractions for England: Alcohol-attributable mortality and hospital admissions”.
4. Emergency admissions
Includes all types of emergency admission (Method of admission codes 21-28).
5. Finished admission episodes
A finished admission episode is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Finished admission episodes are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.
6. Primary diagnosis
The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 14 (seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital.
7. Secondary diagnoses
As well as the primary diagnosis, there are up to 13 (6 prior to 2002-03) secondary diagnosis fields in Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) that show other diagnoses relevant to the episode of care.
8. Number of episodes in which the patient had an alcohol-related primary or secondary diagnosis
These figures represent the number of episodes where an alcohol-related diagnosis was recorded in any of the 14 (seven prior to 2002-03) primary and secondary diagnosis fields in a HES record.
Each episode is only counted once in each count, even if an alcohol-related diagnosis is recorded in more than one diagnosis field of the record.
9. Data Quality
HES are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts in England. Data is 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. Source:
Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care
Allergies: Research
Jo Swinson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding was made available by his Department for allergy research in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [241766]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 9 December 2008]: The available information is shown in the following table.
Departmental expenditure on allergy research (£000)
2003-04
590
2004-05
483
2005-06
371
2006-07
768
2007-08
1,183
The departmental figures relate to national research programme expenditure. They do not include the significant expenditure on allergy research from the research and development allocations that have over the last 10 years been made annually to national health service providers. That information is not held centrally.
The Medical Research Council (MRC) is one of the main agencies through which the Government support biomedical research. The MRC is an independent body funded by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills. It funds a large portfolio of allergy research.
Anti-depressants: Bexley
Mr. Evennett:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost of prescribing anti-depressant drugs in the London Borough of Bexley in each of the last five years. [242904]
11 Dec 2008 : Column 225W
Dawn Primarolo:
The British National Formulary (BNF) classifies anti-depressant drugs within section 4.3. The following table shows the net ingredient cost for drugs within this section that have been prescribed in Bexley Care Trust, which covers the London borough of Bexley. As this information is available for the most recent 60 months at any one time, figures exist only for four complete financial years (April to March inclusive).
Net ingredient cost and number of prescription items of antidepressant drugs (BNF section 4.3) in Bexley Care Trust, 2004-05 to 2007-08
Financial year
Primary care trust name
BNF section name
Net ingredient cost (£)
2004-05
Bexley Care Trust
Antidepressant Drugs
1,119,010
2005-06
Bexley Care Trust
Antidepressant Drugs
895,117
2006-07
Bexley Care Trust
Antidepressant Drugs
810,164
2007-08
Bexley Care Trust
Antidepressant Drugs
763,942
Source:
Prescribing Analysis and Cost Tool (ePACT).
