Increase in preventable emergency readmissions

Analysis from the Nuffield Trust has found a 41.3 per cent increase in emergency readmissions for conditions classified as ‘potentially preventable’, such as pneumonia and pressure sores, in the last seven years.

Analysing hospital data detailing patient diagnoses and the reasons behind emergency hospital readmissions between 2010/11 and 2016/17, the data showcases a 19 per cent rise, from 1,157,570 to 1,379,790, in patients being readmitted to hospital in an emergency within 30 days of discharge between 2010/11 and 2016/17. Within this, the Nuffield Trust identifies a 41.3 per cent rise, from 130,760 to 184,763, in emergency readmissions for conditions they classify as ‘potentially preventable.

This includes patients with pneumonia, pressure sores and venous thromboembolism (VTE) and were commonly conditions that patients were not diagnosed with when they were first admitted to hospital.

John Appleby, director of Research at the Nuffield Trust, said: “Unnecessary trips and overnight stays in hospital put a strain on elderly patients and their families. That is why it’s concerning that our research shows the number of people being readmitted to hospital within 30 days with potentially preventable conditions is greater than it was seven years ago.”