Hospital admissions for intentional self harm have increased by nearly 10,000 – just over 10 per cent - in three years, a report from The NHS Information Centre shows today.

There were 104,340 admissions for intentional self harm in 2009/10; a 3,130 (3.1 per cent) rise on 2008/09 and a 9,960 (10.6 per cent) rise on 2006/07, according to Provisional Monthly Hospital Episode Statistics for admitted patient care, outpatient and Accident and Emergency data – April to July 2010.

Provisional monthly data from August 2008 to July 2010 also highlights early summer as a hotspot for higher than average admissions, while December has the lowest number of recorded admissions.

In May 2010, 10,340 hospital admissions were recorded for intentional self harm –the highest of any of the 12 months to July 2010. During the same time period December 2009 had the lowest recorded figure overall (7,490).

A similar pattern occurred in the previous 12 month period, with 9,250 admissions recorded in May 2009 – the second highest figure after July 2009 (9,320 admissions). The lowest was in December 2008 (6920).

The report also provisionally shows that for intentional self harm admissions between August 2009 and July 2010:

• Intentional self-poisoning admissions were most common, with 58,280 admissions among women and 37,750 admissions among men. Intentional self harm by a sharp or blunt object was the second most common reason, with 4,170 admissions among women and 3,770 admissions among men.
• The North East of England has the highest rate of admissions of all strategic health authorities (SHAs) in the country at 367 women and 288 men per 100,000 of the population, while London SHA had the lowest at 158 women and 96 men per 100,000 of the population.
• As well as the North East, a cluster of primary care trusts (PCTs) in the North West had much higher than average admission rates1 per 100,000 of the population; as did several other PCTs around the country. These were Hull, Leeds, Derby, Leicester, Bristol, Swindon, Torbay, Southampton, Portsmouth and Brighton (map provided below).

NHS Information Centre Chief Executive Tim Straughan said: “This report highlights self poisoning as the most likely reason for a person to be admitted for intentional self harm; with the use of pain killers or prescription drugs a common factor. It also shows that the North East and North West of England have higher than average rates of admissions, along with pockets of the country that includes several areas of the south coast.

As we head towards December it is interesting to note that provisional information points to this particular month as previously having the lowest number of intentional self harm admissions, while May appears to be near the opposite end of the scale.”

The report is available at www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/provisionalmonthlyhes

ENDS

Notes to editors

1. The NHS Information Centre is England's authoritative, independent source of health and social care information. It works with a wide range of health and social care providers nationwide to provide the facts and figures that help the NHS and social services run effectively. Its role is to collect data, analyse it and convert it into useful information which helps providers improve their services and supports academics, researchers, regulators and policymakers in their work. The NHS Information Centre also produces a wide range of statistical publications each year across a number of areas including: primary care, health and lifestyles, screening, hospital care, population and geography, social care and workforce and pay statistics.
2. HES provisional monthly data can be used for high level, aggregate analysis demonstrating approximate trends in activity. Lower level analysis should be approached with caution as not all activity will be correctly processed until the final annual data is produced.
3. Month of activity: An episode, which is referred to in this press notice, either ends when a patient is discharged or transferred to the care of another consultant. Therefore a small number of episodes which occur at the month end may be counted in the following month's total episodes, as the discharge or transfer occurred in the following month.
4. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.
5. External cause codes within the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) database are used to record intentional self harm admissions. The following codes are used:

• Intentional self poisoning (X60 to X69 inclusive);

X60 Exposure to non-opioid analgesics, antipyretics and anthiheumatics
X61 Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to antiepileptic, sedative-hypnotic, antiparkinsonism and psychotropic drugs, not elsewhere classified
X62 Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to narcotics and psychodysleptics [hallucinogens], not elsewhere classified
X63 Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to other drugs acting on the autonomic nervous system
X64 Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to other and unspecified drugs, medicaments and biological substances
X65 Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to alcohol
X66 Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to organic solvents and halogenated hydrocarbons and their vapours
X67 Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to other gases and vapours
X68 Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to pesticides
X69 Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to other and unspecified chemicals and noxious substances

• Intentional self harm by hanging, drowning or jumping (X70, X71 and X80)

X70 Intentional self-harm by hanging, strangulation and suffocation
X71 Intentional self-harm by drowning and submersion
X80 Intentional self-harm by jumping from a high place

• Intentional self harm by firearm/explosive (X72 to X75 inclusive)

X72 Intentional self-harm by handgun discharge
X73 Intentional self-harm by rifle, shotgun and larger firearm discharge
X74 Intentional self-harm by other and unspecified firearm discharge
X75 Intentional self-harm by explosive material

• Intentional self harm using other implement (X78 and X79)

X78 Intentional self-harm by sharp object
X79 Intentional self-harm by blunt object

• Intentional self harm – other (X76, X77 and X81 to X84 inclusive)

X76 Intentional self-harm by smoke, fire and flames
X77 Intentional self-harm by steam, hot vapours and hot objects
X81 Intentional self-harm by jumping or lying before moving object
X82 Intentional self-harm by crashing of motor vehicle
X83 Intentional self-harm by other specified means
X84 Intentional self-harm by unspecified means
Y87.0 Sequelae of intentional self harm

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