Speeches

Glyn Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Glyn Davies on 2016-01-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people were diagnosed with urinary incontinence in each of the last five years; and what the cost to the NHS was of treating that condition in each such year.

Jane Ellison

The Department does not hold information on the number of people admitted to hospital for a catheter-associated urinary tract infection, urinary tract infection or urinary incontinence.

The following table shows a count of finished admission episodes (FAEs) in the last five years with a primary diagnosis of catheter-associated urinary tract infections.

YEAR

FAEs

2010-11

215

2011-12

294

2012-13

447

2013-14

641

2014-15

942

The following table shows a count of FAEs in the last five years with a primary diagnosis of urinary incontinence in England.

Year

FAEs

2010-11

27,797

2011-12

26,751

2012-13

24,938

2013-14

23,498

2014-15

20,969

The following table shows a count of FAEs in the last five years with a primary diagnosis of urinary tract infection in England

YEAR

FAEs

2010-11

168,581

2011-12

174,818

2012-13

184,924

2013-14

187,594

2014-15

195,282

Source: Hospital episode statistics (HES), Health and social care information centre

Notes:

A finished admission episode (FAE) is the first period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. FAEs are counted against the year or month in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the period.

The primary diagnosis provides the main reason why the patient was admitted to hospital.

The costs to the National Health Service of treating people with urinary tract infections and urinary incontinence is not available centrally.

Such information as is available is from reference costs, which are the average unit costs of providing defined services to patients. Reference costs for acute care are published by Healthcare Resource Group (HRG), which are standard groupings of similar treatments that use similar resources. For example, costs relating to kidney or urinary tract interventions are assigned to the same HRGs.

Table: Estimated total costs of kidney or urinary tract interventions and urinary incontinence or other urinary problems reported by NHS trusts and foundation trusts, 2010-11 to 2014-15 (£ millions)

Kidney or urinary tract interventions

Urinary incontinence or other urinary problems

2010-11

370.5

28.2

2011-12

398.9

28.1

2012-13

432.4

27.8

2013-14

464.8

28.3

2014-15

506.5

27.6

Source: Reference costs, Department of Health