Gastroenterology Today Autumn 2020

NEWS
Cost of constipation still
rising in most English
regions, reveals new report
from the independent Bowel
Interest Group
(Letchworth, August 2020)
Newly released data from the Bowel
Interest Group – published in the 2020
edition of its Cost of Constipation report
– has revealed that the cost of avoidable
emergency admissions to hospital because
of constipation is rising year-on-year in most
regions of England. Just six regions have
seen a drop in the cost and/or number of
admissions for constipation compared to two
years prior. This comes at a time when the
NHS is already under stress and is dealing
with the backlog of patients with chronic
conditions who have had their treatments
delayed because of the coronavirus
pandemic.
The Cost of Constipation report reveals the
impact that constipation has on patients’
quality of life, the significant cost of
constipation to the NHS as well as how this
varies by region. Nationally, the cost per
100,000 population of avoidable constipationrelated
emergency admissions was over
£158,000 in 2018/19. This represents a
15% rise compared with 2016/17 (around
£137,000). Regional variations were
marked, ranging from around £106,000 per
100,000 in Bristol, North Somerset & South
Gloucestershire, through to £244,000 per
100,000 in Humber, Coast & Vale. This level
of variation underlines the importance of
establishing and implementing best practice
bowel management across the country.
At a national level, the report shows that
poor bowel health and chronic constipation,
which are debilitating for hundreds and
thousands of people in the UK, cost the NHS
£81 million per year in admissions to A&E for
constipation. This cost is likely to be much
higher when GP visits, home visits and over
the counter laxatives are taken into account.
Other key figures include:
• £168 million was spent treating
constipation in 2018/19. This includes
avoidable admissions to A&E for
constipation (£81 million) and prescription
laxative costs (£87 million).
• The cost of treating constipation in 2018/19
is equivalent to funding 7304 newlyqualified
nurses for a year.
• Only 6 out of 42 regions (STPs or ICSs
as applicable) in England have seen a
decrease in the number and/or cost of
avoidable emergency admissions for
constipation.
Some leading NHS Trusts in England have
established formal Bowel Management
Pathways and these pioneering initiatives
are starting to offer empirical proof of their
value, both in transforming patients’ lives
and reducing the cost burden on the NHS.
The Bowel Interest Group publicises clinical
best practice on its website, and further
information from the National Institute for
Health and Care Excellence also offers further
guidance for practitioners[1].
Dr Ben Disney, Consultant Gastroenterologist
at Coventry and Warwickshire University
Hospitals Trust and Bowel Interest Group
board member, comments, “This latest
output from the Bowel Interest Group should
make everyone sit up and take notice. Not
only does chronic constipation ruin people’s
lives, it also is causing the NHS unnecessary
costs, largely because dedicated Bowel
Management Pathways are not yet standard
best practice. Pioneering work in this area has
clearly shown a strong return on investment
from such pathways, both in terms of patient
outcomes and cost reduction. At a time when
POSTER SUBMISSIONS
GASTROENTEROLOGY TODAY - AUTUMN 2020
If you have submitted a poster to previous BSG or
ENDOLIVE events and would like it published in
Gastroenterology Today please forward a PDF of your
poster to the email address listed below.
Material submitted will be seen by those working within all
UK gastroenterology departments and endoscopy units.
All submissions should be forwarded to info@mediapublishingcompany.com
If you have any queries please contact the publisher Terry Gardner via:
info@mediapublishingcompany.com
18