To ask the Scottish Executive whether estimated figures are available on the number of attendances at accident and emergency departments due to falls and fractures during the recent cold weather conditions and how this compares with the same period in 2009.
Scottish Government Health Delivery Directorate collected information to assess the impact of an increase in falls and fractures on services over the period 28 December 2009 to 3 January 2010. This was in response to NHS boards highlighting falls and fractures as a significant issue during this period. This information was non-routine management information. This information was provided in response to question S3O-9094 on 14 January 2010. The answer to the oral parliamentary question is available on the Parliament''s website, the official report can be viewed at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-10/sor0114-02.htm#Col22786.
According to this management information, during the period 28 December 2009 to 3 January 2010, there were approximately 50% more attendances at A&E departments across Scotland, due to falls and fractures, when compared to the same period in the previous year.
NHSScotland has not highlighted falls and fractures as a significant issue in the winter 2010-11 situation reports as yet, therefore this management information has not been requested for winter 2010-11. We continually review the need for additional management information from boards against the burdens placed on them by other additional non-routine data requests.
The routine collection of data on hospital admissions for falls and fractures is collected by Information Services Division through the Standard Morbidity Record. Although this data is not published as official statistics, it is available on request and complete data for December 2010 should be available in April 2011.