People who use mental health services are twice as likely to attend A&E than the general population, an analysis shows.
Data released by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) shows that 41% of 1.5 million mental health service users in England visited A&E at least once in 2011/2012 compared to 19% of the general population.
These figures have been released following a recent analysis showed that 20% of people treated in A&E could have been treated in primary care.
Nearly 67% of mental health service users had at least one outpatient appointment, while fewer than 38% were admitted to hospital at least once.
Kingsley Manning, HSCIC chair said the report will help health professionals to “see what is happening.”
He said: “Health professionals will be able to begin to explore what lies behind these facts and figures.
“This in turn will support improved treatments and outcomes and drive better care for patients and the public.”
A further report, scheduled for August, will build on today’s findings to present a more detailed picture about hospital attendances by mental health service users.
