OBJECTIVES

Quality and Outcomes Framework data suggests that over 1.1 million people with diabetes did not receive an influenza vaccination in 2019/20 in England. Influenza vaccination can reduce complications, and the National Flu Immunisation Programme recommends annual vaccination for people with diabetes, yet the vaccination coverage rate in England of 61.2% remains below the WHO recommended rate (75%). Using Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data we sought to analyse the direct secondary care burden of coded influenza cases in England in people with diabetes throughout the 2019/20 season.

METHODS :

Using HES data (September-March; 2019-2020 season) all non-elective admissions, patient counts, bed days, tariff costs, and deaths with primary or secondary diagnosis ICD-10 codes related to influenza (J09-11) and diabetes (E10-14) for all ages were extracted. Admissions and patient numbers were rounded up to the nearest five in accordance with NHS Digital guidelines. From these data we calculated national mean length of stay (LOS) and cost per admission.

RESULTS

During the 2019/20 season, 4,270 influenza admissions were recorded for 3,785 patients with diabetes resulting in 30,050 bed days and total hospital costs of £13,427,968. Mean LOS was 7.04 days, and mean admission cost was £3,145.

Influenza in patients with diabetes accounted for 12% of all influenza admissions to secondary care, and 14% of the non-elective influenza spend.

CONCLUSIONS

Influenza patients with diabetes can have a substantial, negative impact on the healthcare system even before considering primary care and broader societal burdens. Prioritising prevention of influenza through vaccination could result in considerable savings for the healthcare system and alleviate temporal pressures on hospital resources, especially when over 1.1 million people with diabetes in England remain unvaccinated against influenza.