Bolton bucks regional trend of head injury admissions

The figures were issues by health information specialist firm CHKS.

It found that people living in the 16 primary care trusts around Liverpool and Manchester were more likely than those in the rest of country to be admitted following a head injury.

Having adjusted for age and deprivation at individual diagnosis level, its analysis showed admission rates in those PCTs were 37 per cent higher than the average for England. This means people are 1.4 times more likely to be admitted to hospital with a head injury if they live in this area.

The cost of the excess admissions is estimated at £2.5m per year.

The analysis identified that Bolton PCT was an outlier in the region, with admissions lower than the national average and in the lowest quartile nationally.

It is believed it is due to Bolton Foundation Trust’s policy of managing most head injuries in its Bolton Community Unit, with the aim of avoiding admissions. Patients arriving in A&E are either identified and referred by the A&E team or identified and pulled through by the community unit team who regularly attend A&E and select patients based on clearly defined criteria.

CHKS managing director Jason Harries said: “It’s is clear from our analysis that PCTs in the North West could be looking at ways to reduce hospital admissions following head injuries. Bolton PCT’s Community Unit initiative has certainly made a difference according to our figures.”