Summary
| What is known? |
| Currently NCDs are a leading cause of death in the UK. There is also an increasing prevalence of NCDs in an ageing population. |
| What is the question? |
| What proportion of emergency admissions are attributed to NCDs and what diseases are the leading causes? What are the demographics of those admitted with NCDs changing and how is the prevalence of multiple long-term diseases changing? |
| What was found? |
| The number of emergency admissions due to NCDs is increasing but they account for a smaller proportion of emergency admissions than 20 years ago. The biggest growth has been in admissions coded as non-specific symptoms without a definitive diagnosis. NCDs are increasingly prevalent in the older population and the incidence of multiple long-term diseases is increasing. |
| What is the implication for practice now? |
| This falling proportion of admissions coded as NCD-related may represent improving outpatient and ambulatory management of NCDs but admissions data reveals a new group of poorly understood patients often without a definitive diagnosis recorded. |