A&E Attendances and Hospital Admissions Among Children and Young People

This topic area covers statistics and information relating to A&E attendances and hospital admissions among children and young people including local strategic need and service provision. Further information relating to hospital admissions as a result of unintentional and deliberate injuries can be found within Accidents and Injuries Among Children and Young People under Health Factors under Children and Young People. Information on hospital admissions for specific diseases and medical conditions among adults can be found on the specific pages for that disease or medical condition within Health Factors under Adults.

This page contains information from the Office for Health Improvement & Disparities’ Fingertips. Information is taken ‘live’ from the site so uses the latest available data from Fingertips and displays it on this page. As a result, some comments on this page may relate to an earlier period of time until this page is next updated (see review dates at the end of this page).

The Office for National Statistics ‘back-date’ their recent estimates of the resident population once more accurate Census data becomes available. Their revised estimates are due to be released in summer 2023. In the meantime, the Office for Health Improvement & Disparities have removed their trend data which relied on resident population estimates from Fingertips, and it will be added back in after summer 2023. Some of the statements on our website pages have been retained with the comments relating to the trend data when it was shown on Fingertips even though the trend data is not shown, and the actual values will change (in most cases slightly) once the calculations are redone using the new backdated population estimates.

Headlines

• The rate of A&E attendances in Hull among infants aged under one year and children aged 0-4 years was comparable to England in 2016/17, but has increased sharply and both rates are over 40% higher than England for 2021/22. On average, infants are attending A&E 1.5 occasions per year, and all children aged 0-4 years are attending just over one occasion per year. A&E attendances among under fives approximately halved during 2020/21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but returned to pre-pandemic levels during 2021/22.
• The rate of emergency hospital admissions for babies under 14 days, and infants and children aged 0-4 years are both lower than England for 2021/22. Admissions for gastroenteritis among those aged under one year, aged one year and aged 2-4 years were all higher in Hull compared to England for 2021/22 with a particular increase among 2-4 year olds, although none of the rates were statistically significantly higher than England. This was also the case for lower respiratory tract infections with the exception of 2-4 year olds where the rate was slightly lower in Hull compared to England.
• Given that A&E attendance has increased so markedly among those under five years of age, it is perhaps not surprising that this has occurred among under 18s too. The rate of A&E attendance was slightly lower in Hull than England in 2011/12, but increased gradually from 346 to 478 attendances per 1,000 population in 2016/17. However, the rate increased to 694 per 1,000 population in 2019/20 (67% higher than England) with 39,795 A&E attendances in total. The rate in 2021/22 was 671 attendances per 1,000 population with 39,665 A&E attendances in total so the number of attendances has returned to pre-pandemic levels.
• For 2021/22, children aged under five years accounted for 45% of all under 18s A&E attendances.
• The emergency hospital admission rate among under 18s remained statistically significantly higher than England until 2019/20 with 4,875 admissions in total that year. In 2020/21 emergency admissions decreased significantly in Hull, as in England, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as attendances at hospital decreased sharply. In 2021/22, there were 4,130 admissions among under 18s and the admission rate in Hull was comparable to England.
• During 2021/22, the rate of emergency hospital admissions among under 19s for diabetes and epilepsy were considerably higher (and statistically significantly higher) in Hull compared to England whereas hospital admissions for asthma in Hull were half the rate for England. Hospital admissions for both diabetes and epilepsy in Hull were comparable to England for those aged 0-9 years and it was the rate among those aged 10-18 years that was higher.
• During 2021/22, hospital admissions for mental health in Hull were considerably higher than England, although admissions as a result of self-harm were considerably lower in Hull.
• Over the three year period 2018/19-2020/21, admissions for alcohol-specific conditions in Hull among under 18s was more than twice as high for males compared to England, although similar to England for Hull females. Over the same three year period, hospital admissions for substance misuse among 15-24 year olds in Hull was 40% higher than England.

The Population Affected – Why Is It Important?

Hospitals and the NHS are currently under extreme stress and pressure in terms of increased numbers of people attending A&E and being admitted to hospital. This has always been the case during winter months, but increasingly this pressure is arising throughout the entire year, and this has increased dramatically with the COVID pandemic.

Thus, whilst it is important that people seek medical help early in an emergency or where there is serious medical need, it is also important that people do not attend A&E when a more appropriate service should have been accessed instead. Such attendances will potentially mean that treatment is delayed for those most in need of urgent medical help.

Furthermore, attendances at A&E and admissions to hospital, particularly emergency hospital admissions which are the most expensive for the NHS can be minimised through prevention such as reducing exposure to second-hand smoke, accident prevention, improved road safety, and access to other early help community services such as pharmacies and urgent treatment centres.

The rates of A&E attendance and hospital admissions are given on The Office for Health Improvement & Disparities’ Fingertips, and the information is presented for different age groups, and for different types of causes of admission and different medical conditions. Hospital admission rates are given for asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, unintentional and deliberate injuries, self-harm and mental health, and admissions due to alcohol and substance abuse. For children aged under five years, admission rates are also given for gastroenteritis and lower respiratory tract infections.

Note that most of the rates presented below are described as rates of hospital admissions with the exception of those relating to alcohol which are stated as rates of hospital episodes. Each hospital admission, hospital stay or hospital ‘spell’ is made up of one or more hospital episodes. Each hospital episode relates to a period of care for a patient under a single consultant within one hospital provider. Thus if a patient moves from one consultant to another (for example, if they move from one speciality to another), or if a patient is transferred to another hospital (for example, if they require specialist care) then there will be more than one hospital episode for that hospital stay. In most cases, a hospital stay has a single hospital episode, but for a small number of hospital stays there can be a relatively large number of hospital episodes. However, in relation to hospital admission data presented on The Office for Health Improvement & Disparities’ Fingertips for children and young people, only those relating to alcohol mention hospital episodes and despite this, the information presented appears to be hospital admissions rather than hospital episodes based on information presented in their definitions section.

The number of hospital admissions are generally rounded to the nearest five. In most cases, the rates of A&E attendance and hospital admission are given as a crude rate, but the hospital admission rates for alcohol-specific conditions and substance misuse are given as directly standardised rates (adjusted to take into consideration the age distribution of the local population).

Note also that the rate of A&E attendances and hospital admission are influenced by local variation in referral and admission practices as well as variation in incidence or prevalence.

The Hull Picture

A&E Attendances Among Under Fives

A&E attendances among those aged under one year and 0-4 years in Hull are considerably higher in Hull compared to England (41% and 47% higher than England respectively for 2021/22). The number of A&E attendances are given as a rate per 1,000 population.

The A&E attendance rate in Hull was comparable to England in 2016/17, but has since increased markedly for both infants under one year and those aged 0-4 years. Significant numbers of infants under the age of one year are attending A&E more than once in the year as there are just over 3,000 births in Hull each year. The population aged 0-4 years is just under 16,000 in Hull based on the 2021 Census, and thus on average children aged 0-4 years are attending A&E more than once per year on average.

Hospital Admissions Among Under Fives

Emergency Hospital Admissions Among Babies Under 14 Days

The rate of emergency hospital admissions for babies aged under 14 days (per 1,000 population) were considerably lower in Hull compared to England for 2021/22.

The emergency hospital admission rate for babies under 14 days has also been significantly lower than England each year since 2014/15.

Emergency Hospital Admissions Among All Under Fives

The rate of emergency hospital admissions among children under five years of age in Hull is comparable to England 2021/22.

However, until 2019/20, emergency hospital admissions among children aged 0-4 years had consistently been significantly higher in Hull compared to England with over 3,000 admissions in Hull per year. Until 2020/21, the rate had not changed much over time, although there had been reductions since 2011/12 and 2012/13, but there is year-on-year variability. The large reduction seen in 2020/21 is due to the COVID-19 pandemic when the numbers of people attending hospital fell significantly across the country. However, the rate in Hull has not returned to a rate that is statistically significantly higher than England for 2021/22.

Hospital Admissions for Gastroenteritis

For 2021/22, hospital admissions for gastroenteritis in infants under one year of age, and children aged one year and 2-4 years are all slightly higher than England, but not statistically significantly so.

The rates in Hull have generally been higher than England. However, the number of hospital admissions are relatively low and there is year-on-year variability in the number of admissions for gastroenteritis in Hull (see Small Numbers for more information). Furthermore, it is possible that there could be multiple hospital admissions from the same children in a single financial year.

In 2019/20, there were around 145 hospital admissions but for 2020/21 this decreased to around 50 hospital admissions (numbers on The Office for Health Improvement & Disparities’ Fingertips have been rounded to the nearest five hospital admissions for each age group). In 2021/22, the numbers increased to 130 which is slightly lower than the absolute numbers in 2019/20.

Prior to 2020/21, the highest number of hospital admissions occurred for infants under one year of age, and children aged one year old both with generally around 40-60 hospital admissions per year for each age group. There were fewer admissions among children aged 2-4 years (on average around 10-30 hospital admissions per year for each single year of age). Thus it appears that there has been an increased in the hospital admissions for gastroenteritis for 2-4 year olds in Hull for 2021/22.

Hospital Admissions for Lower Respiratory Tract Infections

In 2021/22, hospital admissions for lower respiratory tract infections in infants under one year and those aged one year were both higher in Hull compared to England, but the difference was not statistically significantly. Among children aged 2-4 years, the rate of admission was slightly lower in Hull.

These trends have generally persisted over the last seven years with rates higher in Hull compared to England among infants under one year, but lower among children aged 1-4 years.

The numbers of hospital admissions were relatively low though particularly for children aged 1-4 years potentially resulting in year-on-year variability (see Small Numbers for more information). Furthermore, it is possible that there could be multiple hospital admissions from the same children in the same financial year.

During 2019/20, there were 280 hospital admissions for lower respiratory tract infections among infants aged under one year with numbers relatively small among children aged one year (30 admissions) and 2-4 years (15 admissions). The number of admissions decreased considerably in 2020/21 to 45 hospital admissions among those aged under one year and 10 hospital admissions among children one year of age, although the admission rate remained relatively unchanged among children aged 2-4 years (numbers rounded to nearest five on Fingertips). The numbers for 2021/22 returned to their pre-pandemic levels.

Hospital Admissions for Accidents and Injuries

Emergency hospital admissions among those aged 0-4 years caused by unintentional and deliberate injuries are marginally lower in Hull compared to England in 2021/22. Rates are given as emergency hospital admissions per 10,000 population.

The emergency hospital admission rate for injuries among 0-4s has been decreasing in Hull, and at a faster rate than reductions in England and across Yorkshire and Humber, thus the inequalities gap between Hull and England has reduced in recent years.

The hospital admission rate in 2020/21 is the lowest it has been in Hull and it is the first time the rate in Hull has been lower than England (since 2010/11), and whilst it is possible that the rate in 2020/21 was influenced by the pandemic, the rate in Hull for 2021/22 is still slightly lower than England.

Further information is available on the type of injury from The Office for Health Improvement & Disparities’ Fingertips for those aged 0-4 years, and is presented within Accidents and Injuries Among Children and Young People under Health Factors under Children and Young People.

Hospital Admissions Among Children Aged 0-9 Years

Hospital Admissions for Asthma, Epilepsy and Diabetes

For 2021/22, emergency hospital admissions among children aged 0-9 years were half the rate in Hull compared to England for asthma, 64% higher for diabetes and higher for epilepsy but not statistically significantly so. The rate is given as the number of hospital admissions per 100,000 population aged 0-9 years.

The number of hospital admissions are given on Fingertips, but are rounded to the nearest five admissions. The numbers of hospital admissions were relatively low though (particularly for diabetes) potentially resulting in year-on-year variability (see Small Numbers for more information). Furthermore, it is possible that there could be multiple hospital admissions from the same children within the same financial year.

For 2021/22, there were 25 hospital admissions for asthma, 20 hospital admissions for diabetes and 40 hospital admissions for epilepsy among children aged 0-9 years in Hull.

The rate of hospital admissions for asthma over the last seven years has shown a marked decrease in Hull. Furthermore, the rate has decreased at a faster rate than England over the same time period which has reduced the inequalities gap to the extent that the rate in Hull is now lower than that of England. The hospital admission rate in Hull for 2010/11 was 50% higher than England, but in 2021/22 the rate in Hull is half that of England’s rate.

The rate of hospital admissions for diabetes has remained relatively constant over the last seven years, although there has been some year-on-year variability.

The hospital admission rate for epilepsy has reduced considerably in Hull over the last seven years to 2020/21. The rate in Hull during 2010/11 and 2011/12 was around three times higher than the hospital admission rate in England. However, for the last three years, the rate has been similar to England and for 2020/21 the rate is slightly lower than England, although the rate in Hull has increased in 2021/22 and is now slightly higher than England.

Hospital Admissions Among Children Aged 10-18 Years

Hospital Admissions for Asthma, Epilepsy and Diabetes

Compared to England, young people aged 10-18 years living in Hull had fewer hospital admissions for asthma, but almost twice as many emergency admissions for diabetes and more than twice as many emergency admissions for epilepsy for 2021/22. Rates are given as the number of hospital admissions per 100,000 population.

There is some year-on-year variability for the hospital admission rate for asthma among young people aged 10-18 years although the levels in Hull have been similar to or lower than England, and relatively unchanged over the period 2010/11 to 2019/20, before dropping sharply in 2020/21 due to the reduced number of hospital admissions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The numbers have continued to be lower in Hull compared to England for 2021/22.

The hospital admission rate for diabetes in Hull has generally been similar to England, although significantly higher for 2011/12, 2012/13, 2018/19 and 2021/22. As mentioned above, it is possible with so few hospital admissions per year that a small number of individuals could have a considerable influence on the rate if they have multiple hospital admissions during the same financial year or even different years.

In 2014/15 there was a particularly high rate of hospital admission for epilepsy in Hull. It is possible that this could have been multiple hospital admissions from the same children. With the exception of 2014/15, the admission rate in Hull for epilepsy among those aged 10-18 years has been between 75 and 145 hospital admissions per 100,000 population compared to a rate of 50-60 hospital admissions per 100,000 population for England.

The hospital admission rate in Hull has been statistically significantly higher than England for all years except 2016/17 and 2017/18. The rate in Hull has increased the next two years to 2019/20, and the rate in 2019/20 was the highest it had been since 2014/15. The rate did fall between 2019/20 and 2020/21, but this could be associated with the COVID-19 pandemic (although the rate only decreased slightly in England or across the region between 2019/20 and 2020/21). However, the rate is again much higher in Hull compared to England for 2021/22 being more than twice as high (it was 50% higher than England in 2020/21).

A&E Attendances and Hospital Admissions for All Children and Young People

A&E Attendances

The rate of attendances at A&E among those aged under 18 years in Hull is statistically significantly higher than England for 2021/22, and the highest across the region (by some margin). Rates are given as attendances per 1,000 population.

In 2021/22, there were 39,665 A&E attendances among children and young people aged under 18 years in Hull. The Office for National Statistics estimated that the total resident population of Hull aged under 18 years from the 2021 Census as 59,169. Thus with 39,665 A&E attendances, this equates to an average of 0.67 A&E attendances per child, although not all children will have attended but others will have attended A&E more than once during the year.

The number of A&E attendances per 1,000 children and young people in Hull aged under 18 years has consistently been higher than England, and statistically significantly so (for all except 2011/12). Whilst there has been an increase over the entire period from 2011/12 to 2019/20, the increases were most dramatic in 2017/18 and 2018/19. The rates in 2021/22 are very similar to those observed prior the pandemic.

All Emergency Hospital Admissions

The rate of emergency hospital admissions among those aged under 18 years in Hull was comparable to England for 2021/22. Rates are given as emergency hospital admissions per 1,000 population.

However, rates have consistently been statistically significantly higher in Hull compared to England between 2010/11 and 2019/20. Whilst there has been relatively little change over the last decade in Hull, the difference in the emergency hospital admission rate between Hull and England had reduced slightly in recent years due to small reductions in the rate for Hull and small increases in the rate for England.

In 2020/21, the number of emergency hospital admissions among children and young people aged under 18 years reduced considerably almost halving in Hull from 2019/20. This reduction will be associated with the reduced hospital admissions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There was also a sharp fall for England and across the region, but the reduction was not as great as the reduction in Hull. Whilst the number of emergency hospital admissions has increased following the pandemic, the rate in Hull is comparable to the rate for England for 2021/22.

Hospital Admissions for Asthma, Epilepsy and Diabetes

In 2021/22, hospital admissions among all children and young people aged 0-18 years were half the rate in Hull compared to England, whereas hospital admissions for both diabetes and epilepsy are considerably higher and statistically significantly higher than England being 80% and 65% higher than England. The overall numbers are relatively small and can be influenced by a relatively high number of hospital admissions from a small number of children and young people, although it is not known if this is the case for 2021/22. Rates are given as hospital admissions per 100,000 population.

In 2021/22, hospital admissions due to asthma were considerably lower in Hull compared to England overall and for each age group of children in particular those aged 0-9 years. The numbers are small and could be influenced by a small number of children with multiple hospital admissions. Rates are given as hospital admissions per 100,000 population.

Over the period 2013/14 and 2020/21, the hospital admission rate for asthma has reduced considerably in Hull, and whilst the rates had reduced in England, the decrease in Hull has been much greater. The trends in the hospital admission rates among 0-9s and 10-18s have been illustrated above (they showed significant decreases among the 0-9s but little change in the rate among 10-18 year olds). Thus the decrease among the 0-18s is mainly made up from the decrease among the 0-9s.

Overall for 2021/22, there were 40 admissions for asthma among children and young people aged 0-18 years in Hull.

The hospital admission rates for diabetes among children and young people in Hull is similar to England for 2021/22 for children aged 0-9 years but statistically significantly higher for young people aged 10-18 years and overall among all children and young people aged 0-18 years. The numbers are small and could be influenced by a small number of children with multiple hospital admissions. Rates are given as hospital admissions per 100,000 population.

Between 2010/11 and 2020/21, the hospital admission rates among 0-18s for diabetes has shown year-on-year variability, although in general the rates have been similar to or higher than England. The trends in the hospital admission rates among 0-9s and 10-18s have been illustrated above (they showed relatively small changes in the rates over time for 0-9s although considerable year-on-year variability among the 10-18s).

Overall for 2021/22, there were 65 admissions for diabetes among children and young people aged 0-18 years in Hull.

Hospital admissions due to epilepsy are slightly higher in Hull compared to England for children aged 0-9 but considerably higher and statistically significantly higher among young people aged 10-18 years (and higher overall for 0-18s). Rates are given as hospital admissions per 100,000 population. The numbers are small and could be influenced by a small number of children with multiple hospital admissions.

Whilst there had been a significant decrease in the hospital admission rate for epilepsy for those aged 0-18 years between 2010/11 and 2018/19, the rate then increased in 2019/20 by over one-third before decreasing by a similar rate in 2020/21. It is relatively difficult to interpret this data as it is possible that a very small number of children who have multiple hospital admissions within a single financial year or over a period of time can have a relatively large impact on the rate as there are relatively few hospital admissions overall, and the large decrease in 2020/21 is likely influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic when hospital admissions were much reduced. There has been an increase in the number of admissions in 2021/22.

The trends in the hospital admission rates among 0-9s and 10-18s have been illustrated above (they showed substantial decreases among those aged 0-9 years and a variable trend among those aged 10-18 years although an increase over the last couple of years).

Overall for 2021/22, there were 75 admissions for epilepsy among children and young people aged 0-18 years in Hull.

Hospital Admissions for Accidents and Injuries

The rate of emergency hospital admissions caused by unintentional and deliberate injuries among those aged among those aged 0-14 and 15-24 years in Hull is similar to the rate in England for 2021/22. Rates are given as emergency hospital admissions per 10,000 population.

Between 2010/11 and 2020/21, the rate of emergency hospital admissions caused by unintentional and deliberate injuries has decreased in Hull for both 0-14s and 15-19s, although among 15-19 year olds the main decrease occurred between 2010/11 and 2014/15 with the rate remaining relatively constant (increasing slightly between 2014/15 and 2016/17 before decreasing again more recently). Rates have been comparable to England for at least the last couple of years.

Further information is presented within Accidents and Injuries Among Children and Young People under Health Factors under Children and Young People.

Hospital Admissions for Self-Harm

The Office for Health Improvement & Disparities’ Fingertips provides information relating to hospital admissions for intentional self-harm. In contrast to all the other hospital admission rates presented above, the hospital admission rate for self-harm is presented as the directly age standardised admission rates per 100,000 population (standardised to the European Standard Population). The rate is statistically significantly lower in Hull compared to England for 2021/22.

The age standardised hospital admission rate for self-harm in Hull fell between 2011/12 and 2021/22 among those aged 10-24 years, but there is considerable year-on-year variability. It is possible that the rates are influenced by a small number of young people who have multiple hospital admissions within the same financial year or across more than one financial year.

In the last two years, around a third of all hospital admissions for intentional self-harm in Hull among young people aged 10-24 years. For 2021/22, there were a total of 450 hospital admissions for intentional self-harm in Hull among people of all ages and 185 (32%) of these were among young people aged 10-24 years. There were fewer admissions in 2021/22 with 450 hospital admissions for intentional self-harm in total of which 155 (34%) were among young people aged 10-24 years living in Hull.

Information is also available by age group although these rates are not standardised and are crude rates so simply the number of hospital admissions per 100,000 population. For 2021/22, the hospital admission rate in Hull is statistically significantly lower compared to England among those aged 10-14 and 15-19 years, and whilst the rate is considerably lower in Hull among 20-24 year olds, the rate is not statistically significantly different than England.

For 10-14 year olds, whilst the hospital admission rate increased in Hull between 2011/12 and 2013/14 and was higher than England, the rate has subsequently decreased and at a faster rate compared to England until 2019/20, although with a large increase in 2020/21. Despite this increase, the hospital admission rate for self-harm among 10-14 year olds in Hull for 2020/21 is similar to the rate in 2016/17, and remains lower than England. However, the rate has further decreased in Hull for 2021/22, and is now statistically significantly lower than England.

Among those aged 15-19 years, the rate has been quite variable year-on-year. The hospital admission rate in Hull was higher or similar to England between 2011/12 and 2014/15, but since then has tended to be lower or similar to England. The rate in 2019/20 was the second lowest over the period 2011/12 to 2019/20. However, following the increase in the rate in 2020/21, the rate in Hull in 2020/21 is the highest since 2017/18, although similar to England. However, the rate for 2021/22 is now statistically significantly lower in Hull compared to England.

Among 20-24 year olds, the hospital admission rate for self-harm in Hull has tended to be higher or similar to England over the period 2011/12 to 2020/21 with only one year (2015/16) with a statistically significantly lower rate of hospital admissions. The rate in Hull decreased between 2011/12 and 2014/15, but remained relatively constant between 2016/17 and 2018/19 at slightly above the England rate. For the last three years, the rate in Hull has been below the England rate, marginally lower in 2019/20, 20% lower in 2020/21 and 23% lower for 2021/22.

Hospital Admissions for Mental Health

Fingertips presents information on the number of inpatient hospital admissions for mental health conditions among those aged under 18 years per 100,000 population. The rate is considerably higher and statistically significantly higher in Hull compared to England for 2021/22.

The rate in Hull has been consistently lower than England between 2010/11 and 2020/21 with 40 hospital admissions for mental health conditions among Hull residents aged under 18 years during 2020/21. However, this increased considerably to 110 admissions for 2021/22.

Hospital Admissions Due to Alcohol

Over the last three years 2018/19 to 2020/21, hospital admissions due to alcohol-specific conditions among under 18s have been more than twice as high in Hull compared to England for males, but similar among females. Rates are given as hospital admissions per 100,000 population.

Alcohol-specific conditions are all conditions that are 100% or wholly related to alcohol such as alcohol poisoning or mental and behavioural disorders due to alcohol (which covers acute intoxication, harmful use, dependence syndrome, and withdrawal). The number of hospital admissions is a count of the total hospital admissions where the primary or any of the secondary diagnosis codes related to an alcohol-specific or wholly attributable condition.

Thus the rate does not include hospital admissions where alcohol is a factor in the hospital admission such as road traffic accidents or falls unless the primary or any of the secondary diagnoses codes have an alcohol-specific diagnosis code such as alcohol poisoning or acute intoxication. Thus the rate does not necessarily take into consideration the overall impact on the hospital system of alcohol in relation to young people. Clearly, there will be a much higher number of attendances at A&E which are wholly attributable or related to alcohol, and alcohol will probably have a greater impact on A&E in terms of numbers although admission to hospital costs significantly more and results in more resources being used than an A&E attendance.

Overall, for males and females combined, the hospital admission for alcohol-specific conditions rates fell considerably between 2006/07-2008/09 and 2013/14-2015/16, but have increased subsequently although there were decreases in the last two year periods.

Over the three year period 2006/07-2008/09, there were 222 alcohol-specific hospital admission episodes among young people in Hull aged under 18 years although this has fallen to 70 for the most recent three year period. Thus there has been a significant fall in the rate over time in Hull despite the increases seen in three of the five most recent three-year periods.

There was a similar pattern for males as observed for males and females combined with a fall between 2006/07-2008/09 and 2013/14-2015/16, but increases in the next three years (although a larger increase in males than males and females combined), unchanged in 2017/18-2019/20 before decreasing in 2018/19-2020/21.

It is not surprising that the increase in the three years up to 2016/17-2018/19 was greater among males as there has been little change in the rate among females, and males account for a greater percentage of the overall alcohol-specific hospital admissions (60 hospital admissions for males, 35 hospital admissions for females and 100 hospital admissions overall with numbers not summing because The Office for Health Improvement & Disparities’ Fingertips presents the numbers to the nearest five).