High hospital readmission rates for the elderly raise concerns over care

The number of over-75s in England who have to undergo emergency readmission to hospital hit 201,000 in 2010/11, research conducted by data experts Ssentif Intelligence revealed.

The figure is a stark rise from 2001/2 when the readmission rate for this age group stood at 103,000 a year.

A shocking 16 per cent of all over-75s need emergency readmission within 28 days of discharge, Ssentif said.

But performance around the country varies significantly. Readmission rates in the South West are 12.98 per cent and in London the figure stands at 17.06 per cent.

Ssentif said Northumberland Tyne and Wear NHS Trust, Birmingham Women’s NHS Foundation Trust and West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust all reported readmission rates of more than 20 per cent – meaning one in five over 75s treated at the trusts could have been sent home prematurely.

Across all ages, 650,000 patients were readmitted as an emergency in 2010/11 – a considerable rise from 380,000 patients in 2001/2.

Katherine Murphy, chief executive of the Patients Association, said that high readmission rates are both costly for the NHS and distressing to patients.

She said: “Too often patients, relatives and carers contact our helpline about inappropriate discharges, with patients being sent home without proper planned care in place, at a time when they are incredibly vulnerable. This sadly leads to readmissions, and sometimes even more tragic consequences.”