People in poorest areas of England ‘more likely to need emergency care for lung conditions’ | Health
People from the poorest parts of England with serious lung problems are more likely to be admitted to hospital for emergency care than their wealthier counterparts, research has found.
Analysis of November NHS admissions data by Asthma + Lung UK found that people from the poorest backgrounds in England were 56% more likely to be admitted to urgent care, while 62% were more likely to be readmitted within 39 days of emergency admission; which is linked to an increased chance of death.
The research also found that people in poor areas were almost twice as likely to be hospitalized with respiratory illness.
One expert said the findings should act as a wake-up call to end the “postcode lottery”.
The highest rates of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) admissions per population are in deprived areas such as Blackpool, Manchester, Hastings and Burnley.
COPD is a group of diseases that also includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema, causing breathing difficulties. More than 20,000 people die from COPD a year in the UK.
Respiratory consultant at Imperial College London, Dr. Hugo Farne said the figures “reveal a clear and preventable injustice in respiratory health”.
“The fact that nearly half a million respiratory infections could be prevented each year if the deprivation gap was closed should be a wake-up call,” Farne said.
“We know what works: timely diagnosis, smoking cessation support, lung rehabilitation, clean air and appropriately resourced community respiratory services. But these are least accessible in the places that bear the greatest burden.
“Tackling the consequences of COPD means tackling inequality head-on by continuously investing in deprived areas, combining health and social care, and treating respiratory health as a national priority, not a postcode lottery.”
The NHS is bracing for its worst ever winter crisis as flu cases continue to rise. Data published by NHS England on Thursday revealed that an average of 3,140 people were hospitalized with flu every day by the end of last week, an 18% increase on the previous week. While there were an average of 2,629 patients in the hospital in the same period last year, this number increased to 648 in 2023.
Sarah Sleet, chief executive of Asthma + Lung UK, said: “Many patients currently in hospital with flu complications will have underlying lung conditions such as COPD and, shockingly, those from the lowest income brackets will be more likely to lose their lives this winter.
“Poor housing, smoking and exposure to air pollution increase a person’s risk of developing COPD, but deprivation also determines the progression of the disease.
“Delayed diagnosis and inadequate care lie at the heart of the problem. Vital diagnostic tests are unavailable in some parts of the country, with poorer, more populated areas tending to struggle the most to provide lung testing and essential care services, where the pressure on health services is greatest.”
“Lung health is in a critical state in this country and we know what changes need to be made, they just need to be implemented, so we need a dedicated national strategy to improve respiratory outcomes.”
Previous analysis of NHS figures has found that serious breathing problems, including COPD, lead to more emergency admissions to hospital than other medical conditions.
NHS England has been approached for comment.
