Barnet (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Emergency admissions for respiratory disease are rising in the NHS area covering Barnet, according to newly released health data highlighting local concerns.
It coincides with England’s admissions rate reaching its highest point since the Covid-19 pandemic.
This number “should be going down, not up,” according to a respiratory health organization, which urged the government to give respiratory treatment more attention.
The third leading cause of death in England is respiratory disease, which includes lung cancer, asthma, pneumonia, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Smoking, air pollution, and exposure to dangerous building materials like asbestos are frequently associated with them.
According to data from NHS England, the NHS North Central London Integrated Care Board area saw 12,825 emergency hospital admissions for respiratory diseases in 2023–2024, a 7% increase from 11,990 the year before.
It indicates that the area has the lowest rate in the nation, with 970 admissions per 100,000 residents, which is less than the national average of 1,428 admissions per 100,000.
In 2023–2024, there were 854,922 A&E admissions nationwide for respiratory diseases, which was the largest number since 2019–20 during the Covid-19 pandemic and an increase of 8% from 790,241 the previous year.
Emma Rubach, head of health advice at Asthma + Lung UK, said:
“Emergency hospital admissions for respiratory disease should be going down, not up, and while the NHS can’t fix everything at once, lung health should not be kept at the bottom of the pile.”
She explained repeated hospital visits for those with lung conditions can be “very frightening and demoralising”, adding national guidelines for respiratory care and support “are not followed in a consistent or widespread manner”.
She said:
“Breathing issues must be taken more seriously, and although government plans to create better neighbourhood health provision are welcome, they must include a stronger focus on improving respiratory care.
Otherwise, these dehumanising and avoidable rebound hospital visits will continue to rise.”
Significant regional differences in the admission rate are also evident in the numbers; for example, in 2023–2024, the North East and North Cumbria had 1,974 emergency hospital admissions per 100,000 persons.
Respiratory sickness is a “major” cause of hospital admissions, according to Dr. Richard Russell, chair of the British Thoracic Society.
Poorer groups are more likely to experience respiratory diseases, he added, adding that inequality and deprivation are the main causes of the rising number of admissions.
He demanded that respiratory illness be recognized as “one of the biggest problems facing this country” and that additional funding be allocated for research, treatment, and admission prevention.
A DHSC spokesperson said the Government is investing £1.5 billion on new surgical hubs and AI scanners to improve diagnostic services, including for lung diseases, to prevent emergency admissions.
They added:
“Through our Plan for Change to cut waiting lists, we have now exceeded our pledge to deliver an additional two million appointments, tests and operations, having delivered 3.6 million more since July 2024.
We are taking firm action to tackle the harms of smoking, which is the leading risk factor of lung cancer. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill is the biggest public health intervention in a generation and will put us on track towards a smoke-free UK.”
How does the increase in respiratory admissions compare to pre-pandemic levels in Barnet?
Emergency admissions for respiratory infections in Barnet and throughout England are still higher than they were prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, although they have not yet completely recovered to their pre-pandemic levels.
Due in large part to decreased air pollution, decreased influenza rates, and widespread mask use, hospital admissions for illnesses like asthma, COPD, and non-COVID pneumonia decreased dramatically during the pandemic—by about 36-37% for asthma and COPD and 12% for pneumonia.
Respiratory admissions have increased once more since the outbreak. According to NHS data from 2024, emergency respiratory admissions in England increased by 7% over the previous year, with admissions for adult asthma and COPD rising by 17% and 9%, respectively.
Additionally, the rate of bronchiolitis admissions in children less than two years has risen above pre-pandemic norms.