This indicator measures the percentage of admissions of people who returned to hospital as an emergency within 30 days of the last time they left hospital after a stay. Admissions for cancer and obstetrics are excluded as they may be part of the patient’s care plan.
Purpose
This indicator aims to measure the success of the NHS in helping people to recover effectively from illnesses or injuries. If a person does not recover well, it is more likely that they will require hospital treatment again within the 30 days following their previous admission. Thus, readmissions are widely used as an indicator of the success of healthcare in helping people to recover.
Current version updated: Feb-14
Next version due: To be confirmed
