Huge health gap is revealed between rich and poor with deprived children 70 per cent more likely to end up in A&E

Deprived children are more likely to need treatment for asthma and diabetes
Young adults from deprived backgrounds are 58% more likely to go to A&E
The gap is costing the NHS an extra £245 million a year in pediatric admissions

Published: 09:52 GMT, 24 December 2017 | Updated: 10:48 GMT, 24 December 2017

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Children from deprived families are up to 70 per cent more likely to end up in A&E needing emergency treatment for conditions such as as asthma according to shocking new figures

Hundreds of thousands of patient records were assessed by the Nuffield Trust who have said a 'worrying gap' in the pattern of inequality has emerged.

Despite this gap showing signs of getting smaller over the past ten years, the gap for admissions for asthma and diabetes being more than twice as likely.

New statistics have shown that children from deprived families are 70 per cent more likely to need emergency medical treatment than their less deprived counterparts (stock image)

The trend shows that as well as the higher rates of children and teenagers from deprived backgrounds being admitted, young adults up to the age of 24 are also 58 per cent more likely to go to A&E needing medical assistance.

The research has revealed that although the number of emergency emissions has decreased, the gap has stubbornly remained.

Each pediatric emergency admission costs the NHS a whopping £1,000 but the study reports that if the level for deprived groups was to be brought down to match their less deprived counterparts it would lead to a decrease of 244,690 emergency admissions.

The additional admissions are costing £245 million per year with asthma admissions alone costing £8.5 million (stock image)

This would save the NHS £245 million each year.

The number of deprived children being admitted for emergency treatment for their asthma was more than double less deprived children in 2005.

In the 10 years since then this gap has grown two and a half times costing the NHS £8.5 million.

The trend follows the children into their adolescence and adulthood, with the deprived adults up to the age of 24 being 93 per cent more likely to have an emergency admission and he risk of being admitted for diabetes being twice as likely.

Report author and Nuffield Trust visiting researcher Dr Dougal Hargreaves said the level of variation between the rich and the poor and the growing in the gap is 'really worrying.'

He said: 'Receiving emergency hospital treatment is often absolutely essential and emergency care saves lives every day.

Adults up to the age of 24 are 93 per cent more likely to seek out emergency treatment if they are from a deprived background (stock image)

'The frustrating thing is that we know what works: our analysis tracks consistent progress in reducing unplanned admissions for diabetes among children, which has been the focus of significant national policy interventions.

'Yet these can't work in isolation. With public health and other public services cut to the bone and child poverty on the rise, it is hard to see the inequality gaps we highlight being eradicated any time soon.'

Nigel Edwards, Chief Executive of the Nuffield Trust said: 'Asthma and diabetes are both conditions that we should be managing outside hospital. It is an indictment of how we are looking after the most vulnerable in our society that deprived children are now more likely to experience unplanned admissions for asthma than their counterparts did ten years ago.'

A Department of Health spokesperson said: 'Progress has been made in reducing the rate of emergency admissions for the most deprived children — but more needs to be done.

'To help, we have introduced the world's first Diabetes Prevention Programme, a new Tobacco Control Plan targeting the most vulnerable groups and we are giving local areas £16billion to spend on public health.'