Emergency admissions for alcohol-related conditions - ICP Outcomes Framework - Resident Locality

This dataset provides information on emergency hospital admissions for alcohol-related conditions, using a narrow definition that focuses on cases where the primary diagnosis is directly attributable to alcohol. It presents a directly age-standardised rate per 100,000 population, allowing for meaningful comparisons across different geographical areas and time periods. The data is sourced from the Secondary Uses Service (SUS) inpatient extract and is aligned with population estimates from the 2021 Census.

Rationale

Reducing emergency admissions for alcohol-related conditions is a key public health priority. These admissions often reflect harmful drinking patterns and place a significant burden on healthcare services. By focusing on cases where alcohol is the main reason for admission, this indicator helps identify areas with high levels of alcohol-related harm and supports targeted interventions.

Numerator

The numerator includes hospital admissions where the primary diagnosis is an alcohol-attributable condition. This narrow measure captures instances where alcohol is the main reason for the emergency admission.

Denominator

The denominator is the resident population of the relevant geographical area, based on the 2021 Census.

Caveats

While this indicator provides a focused view of alcohol-related harm, it may not capture the full extent of alcohol’s impact on health, as it excludes cases where alcohol is a contributing factor but not the primary diagnosis.

External References

Public Health England – Fingertips Indicator

Localities Explained

This dataset contains data based on either the resident locality or registered locality of the patient, a distinction is made between resident locality and registered locality populations:

• Resident Locality refers to individuals who live within the defined geographic boundaries of the locality. These boundaries are aligned with official administrative areas such as wards and Lower Layer Super Output Areas (LSOAs).
• Registered Locality refers to individuals who are registered with GP practices that are assigned to a locality based on the Primary Care Network (PCN) they belong to. These assignments are approximate—PCNs are mapped to a locality based on the location of most of their GP surgeries. As a result, locality-registered patients may live outside the locality, sometimes even in different towns or cities.

This distinction is important because some health indicators are only available at GP practice level, without information on where patients actually reside. In such cases, data is attributed to the locality based on GP registration, not residential address.

Click here to explore more from the Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Partnerships Outcome Framework.