People from the poorest families in England People with serious lung disease are more likely to be hospitalized for emergency care than their wealthier counterparts, a study has found.
Analysis National Health Service November hospitalization data from Asthma + Lung UK showed that people from the most deprived communities in England were 56% more likely to be admitted to hospital for emergency care, and 62% were more likely to be readmitted to hospital within 39 days of an emergency admission, which is associated with an increased risk of death.
The study also found that people in deprived areas were almost twice as likely to be hospitalized for respiratory problems.
One expert said the results should serve 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 including Blackpool, Manchester, Hastings and Burnley.
COPD is a group of diseases that cause difficulty breathing and includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. More than 20,000 people a year in England die from COPD.
Dr Hugo Farne, a consultant in respiratory diseases at Imperial College London, said the figures “reveal clear and preventable inequities in respiratory health”.
“The fact that almost half a million hospital admissions for respiratory illness could be avoided each year if deprivation gaps were addressed should be a wake-up call,” Farne said.
“We know what works: timely diagnosis, smoking cessation support, pulmonary rehabilitation, clean air and adequately resourced local respiratory services. However, these are least available in the highest burden areas.
“Tackling the impact of COPD means tackling inequality directly – through sustained investment in deprived areas, shared health and social care and treating respiratory health as a national priority rather than a postcode lottery.”
The National Health Service is waiting worst winter crisis in history as flu cases continue to rise. NHS England data released on Thursday showed an average of 3,140 people were in hospital. hospital with flu every day towards the end of last weekwhich is 18% more than the previous week. Moreover, last year there were an average of 2,629 patients in hospital treatment, while in 2023 there were 648.
Sarah Sleet, chief executive of Asthma + Lung UK, said: “Many of the patients currently in hospital with complications from flu will have underlying lung conditions such as COPD and, shockingly, people in the lowest income groups are more likely to die this winter.
“Poor housing, smoking and air pollution increase the risk of developing COPD, but deprivation also determines the progression of the disease.
“At the heart of the problem is late diagnosis and poor care. Life-saving diagnostic tests are not available in some parts of the country, and poorer and more densely populated areas, where the pressure on health services is greatest, tend to have the most difficulty providing pulmonary testing and basic care.
“Lung health in this country is at a critical juncture and we know the changes that need to be made, they just need to be implemented – that's why we need a dedicated national strategy to improve respiratory outcomes.”
Previous analysis of NHS data found that severe breathing problems, including COPD, led to more emergency hospital admissions than for any other disease.
NHS England has been approached for comment.
