£1 million cost of patients attending A&E with 'social problems'

Data from NHS Digital showed roughly 2,368 emergency care admissions had a diagnosis of "social problems" in 2020-2021 in the region, and cost the service £1,023,091.

The figure was up from roughly £715,330 over the year before, with the overall cost of treating patients with social issues across England almost doubling over just two years.

It has led to The Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS) saying measures such as minimum unit pricing would help bring this down and decrease the "shocking" spend by the NHS.

Data showed roughly 1,195 patients were admitted to The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, which runs New Cross Hospital, with "social problems (including chronic alcoholism and homelessness)". It cost the trust £521,602 to treat patients with this diagnosis over the period. The number of admissions fell from 1,290 the year before, but the cost increased from £421,602.

Roughly 545 emergency care admissions to The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Russells Hall Hospital, had the same diagnosis. It cost £219,393 to treat patients with this diagnosis over the period. And the number of admissions rose from roughly 430 the year before, and the cost increased from £105,865.

There were 715 emergency care admissions to University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust, which runs Stafford's County Hospital and Royal Stoke University Hospital, with the diagnosis. It cost the trust £281,954 to treat patients with this diagnosis over the period. The number of admissions fell from 725 the year before, but the cost increased from £187,134.

A spokesman for the trust said: "We will always do our best for patients and to keep patients safe and work with our local NHS and local authority partners to ensure those with alcohol dependence can get the right support and treatment in the best place.

"This also means that those people who need urgent hospital and emergency care can receive treatment quickly."

At the Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust which runs Walsall Manor Hospital, data shows between one and four admissions were made – costing the trust £142. The number of admissions were unchanged from the year before, but the cost decreased from £729.

The figures also cover a range of other categories – including nutritional disorder, safeguarding abuse, social problems in schools and poor social circumstances – with the diagnosis made by the clinician responsible for the patient attending A&E.

More than 50,500 patients were admitted to NHS hospitals, minor injury units and walk-in centres with issues such as these across England last year – up slightly from 48,300 the year before and 48,700 in 2018-19.

But the cost to the NHS £21.1 million jumped from £13.5 million in 2019-20, and almost doubled from £11.8 million just two years prior.

The Institute of Alcohol Studies said one explanation for this rise could be that people with social problems in 2020-21 had more severe issues when they arrived at emergency departments.

An IAS spokesman said there were increases in higher risk drinking, alcohol liver disease emergency admissions and alcohol-specific deaths that year, but warned that any trends during the pandemic were difficult to interpret.

Dr Alison Giles, chief executive of the IAS, said it is "shocking" to see how much the NHS spends on treating issues including alcohol harm, but said measures such as minimum unit pricing would help bring this down.

She added: "These could be introduced as part of a Covid-19 recovery plan, otherwise we will almost certainly continue to see a rise in admissions and costs, as well as deaths.”

Matt Downie, chief executive of Crisis, said something as simple as lack of ID can make going to a GP impossible for people experiencing homelessness – meaning health issues often are not addressed until a critical point.

He added: "The fact that people are accessing treatment is positive, but the focus must be on getting tailored health care support early on."

He said recent NICE guidelines – which call for specialist services to meet the complex needs of people who are homeless – must be implemented.