Frequent attenders at A&Es can account for one in seven visits

A new study has found that frequent attenders can account for nearly one in seven emergency hospital visits.

The research, which involved an extensive examination of repeat visitors at A&E departments, discovered that the needs of these individuals are "consistently not being met".

The British Red Cross undertook a detailed analysis of A&E attendances in Dorset, revealing that a mere 1.7% of the county's population were responsible for 13.8% of all A&E visits.

READ MORE: Spiking to be made specific offence, Keir Starmer reiterates

READ MORE: Cadbury fans fume as popular festive chocolate bar axed just in time for Christmas

According to the findings, such visits often receive an urgent categorisation by medical professionals. Spanning five years of data, researchers pointed out that repeat attendees typically reside in areas of higher deprivation.

They identified two predominant demographics that frequently return to A&E: over-70s with multiple long-term health conditions, 44% of whom were approaching end-of-life care; and those in the 20-49 age bracket who suffer from mental health issues.

Both groups exhibit higher tendencies to utilise ambulances for A&E arrival and had more GP visits in the month leading up to their A&E appearances.

The British Red Cross highlighted that many across the UK make repeated trips to A&E due to ongoing health problems and other needs that have not been addressed effectively.

In response, the charity recommended a series of measures, including establishing more bespoke services for intense use of A&E departments (HIU services).

"Every year millions of people go to A&E when they have an accident or are in desperate need of care, but some people have to attend more than others," said Beatrice Butsana-Sita, the British Red Cross chief executive.

"There are many reasons that can contribute to this and for those individuals, it is very distressing. It is a situation any of us could find ourselves in.

"Our research found almost one in seven A&E attendances in Dorset were from less than 2% of the county’s population.

"Those people needed help and were far more likely to be classed as urgent cases or need hospital admission.

"Our Red Cross teams work with the NHS across the country and regularly see people facing a range of issues, from isolation to inadequate housing and other challenges that impact health and wellbeing.

"As the Government embarks on the development of a new plan to transform the NHS, this research provides further urgency for the need to tackle underlying causes of ill health, resource vital community services and more dedicated high intensity use of A&E services.

"This will help make sure the right services are in place to support people with compassion when they need it most before they reach crisis point."