_{17th May 2012}

NHS Diabetes Press Release: Hospital inpatients with diabetes are 10% more likely to die than those without the condition

Hospital inpatients with diabetes are 10% more likely to die than those without the condition, according to a new study of more than 13 million hospital admissions. It’s one of two major new studies into diabetes care released today (16 May 2012).

Dangerous diabetic complications may explain some of the excess deaths. Many diabetic complications can be prevented by good diabetes management.

The report, Mortality Among Inpatients with Diabetes (PDF 499.9KB), carried out by Diabetes Health Intelligence (part of Yorkshire and Humber Public Health Observatory), showed that one in 20 inpatients with diabetes die while in hospital. The analysis included 13.1 million hospital admissions in England between 1 April 2009 and 31 March 2011. Of these, 1.5 million or 11.2 per cent had diabetes recorded.

Dr Bob Young, National Diabetes Information Service (NDIS) Clinical Lead, said: “This is the first time we have had such an insight into diabetes mortality in hospitals. Although the results paint a national picture, further work needs to be done locally to ensure the findings are put to good use. We will be publishing trust-level summaries through the National Diabetes Information Service (NDIS); hospitals need to look at their own data, and then respond appropriately.”

NHS Diabetes is at the forefront of service improvement in diabetes inpatient care. As a national improvement team, they are supporting better inpatient care, reduced length of stay and preparation for discharge, with a focus on health economic analysis to highlight excess spend on diabetes inpatient care.

Anna Morton, Director of NHS Diabetes, said: “Improving diabetes care in hospital is a priority for NHS Diabetes. We have already published evidence indicating that specialist diabetes inpatient teams can improve outcomes for patients and generate savings fargreater than the cost of such teams.”

The inpatient mortality study took into account the age and sex of the patients, whether they were admitted as an emergency, the reason for the stay and the type of hospital. It also found that, unlike inpatients without diabetes, the risk of dying was not higher among people from socially deprived areas, suggesting that diabetes has a greater impact than social background on the risk of dying.

The additional risk of death among inpatients with diabetes varied across the country. In some hospitals it was higher than 10% per cent. However, in a small number of trusts inpatients with diabetes had a similar death rate to those without. Some of this variation maybe explained by the differences in mortality rates for all patients (with and without diabetes) found between hospitals across England.

The results of a second major study into diabetes care have also been issued today – The 2011 National Diabetes Inpatient Audit (NaDIA). The survey found nearly a third of patients with diabetes experienced at least one medication error in seven days in hospital, although the total number of errors has reduced. 

Anna Morton, commented: “Initiatives such as our Safe Use of Insulin course, which has attracted more than 75,000 registrations since launching in June 2010, may explain the reduction in medication errors. This is promising, but we still have a long way to go to eradicate medication errors. Administering insulin incorrectly can be fatal so the training of those prescribing and administering it is vitally important.”

Notes to Editors:

1. A copy of the inpatient mortality full report will be available through the National Diabetes Information Service (NDIS) www.diabetes-ndis.org and on the Yorkshire and Humber Public Health Observatory website www.yhpho.org.uk by 9am on Thursday 17 May and is available under embargo to journalists on request.

2. For more information on the inpatient mortality report or to arrange an interview with a spokesperson, contact Oliver Jelley on 07766 990848, email: oliver.jelley@diabetes.nhs.uk or Fraser Woodward on 07900 227668, email: fraser.woodward@dakc.nhs.uk.

3. Diabetes Health Intelligence is a strategic programme of Yorkshire and Humber Public Health Observatory (www.yhpho.org.uk) providing national diabetes health intelligence. The observatory has a commitment to support the diabetes community by providing timely, quality assured national diabetes health intelligence. It works closely with a range of key stakeholders, including NHS Diabetes, Strategic Health Authorities, Primary Care Trusts, Diabetes UK, The NHS Information Centre and many others. It also has a strong partner in the National Diabetes Information Service (NDIS) with a vision of providing one portal for alldiabetes related information.The observatory is part funded by NHS Diabetes to provide an annual work programme which includes analysing and interpreting the kind of facts, figures and other intelligence that will help to improve the health of the diabetes community.

4. NHS Diabetes is working to transform diabetes care across the NHS. It plays a vital role inimproving services and quality of care and have one simple but crucial aim; to embed safe, cost-effective evidence-based examples of ‘what works’ leading to better outcomes for patients and efficient use of NHS resources. Further information about our work is available at www.diabetes.nhs.uk.

5. There are 2,455,000 adults diagnosed with diabetes in England but it is estimated that a further 71,000 have not yet been diagnosed. Diabetes can cause damage to the cardiovascular system and complications of diabetes include kidney disease, retinopathy, neuropathy and lower limb amputations. It is estimated that diabetes causes 24,000 excess deaths each year in England.

6. The National Diabetes Inpatient Audit (NaDIA) includes bedside data for 12,800 patients and6600 patient questionnaires and covers subjects including medication errors and patient harm. It is managed by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) in partnership with Diabetes UK and commissioned by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership. For further information please call the HSCIC press office on 0845 257 6990 or contact: mediaenquiries@ic.nhs.uk