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NHS frequent flyers driving up costs

Date published: 13/02/2006

Re-admission by patients with long-term conditions costs the NHS 2.3 billion a year, new research has found. Known as 'frequent flyers' by doctors, one in four emergency admissions are people who have already been seen by A&E at least three or more times in the past year.

Analysis by the Dr Foster health research group concluded that up to one million unnecessary admissions could be made every year and called for more support for people with long-term conditions. The report supports the recent health white paper, which advocated a switch from hospital-based care to more community services.

Report author Hilary Rowell explained that many of the admissions observed were unnecessary and placed a needless burden on the health service. "What we need is better targeted care at the primary care level. Doctors need to find out who is repeatedly being admitted to hospital and do more in the community to help them," she said. Last month the health secretary Patricia Hewitt laid out proposals for a greater emphasis on community-based care. The proposals would target the 15 million people requiring treatment for long-term conditions in the UK.

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