OBJECTIVES To ascertain whether disease prevalence alone explains elective and non-elective patient admission rates, general practitioner (GP) referral rates and prescribing spends in 20 North London Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs). METHODS Using information provided by National Health Service (NHS) England CCG Information packs and the NHS CCG Outcomes Tool, age and sex standardised elective and non-elective admissions rates, GP referral rates and average prescribing spends were extracted and compared to national averages and to the prevalence of 19 commonly occurring diseases available through the Outcomes Tool (2011). RESULTS Of the 20 North London CCGs included in this analysis, 4 reported a higher non-elective admission rate (per 1,000 of the population) than the national average. For CCGs reporting a higher than average non-elective admission rate the disease prevalence was, on average, higher in only 6/19 diseases compared to those CCGs reporting lower than average non-elective rates. Four CCGs reported higher than national average elective admission rates (per 1,000 of the population); of these, the disease prevalence was, on average, higher in 13/19 diseases than CCGs reporting lower than average elective rates. Sixteen CCGs reported higher than national average GP referral rates, and in these CCGs 10/19 diseases had a higher prevalence compared to those CCGs reporting lower than average rates. No CCGs reported a higher than national average prescribing spend (£, per person, per 1,000). CONCLUSIONS Disease prevalence appears to explain rates of elective admissions and GP referrals relatively well in North London CCGs compared to non-elective admission rates. Non-elective admissions commonly occur in emergency situations, thus making the prediction of these events challenging for primary care management and NHS community provision. This could potentially result in increased hospital admissions, irrespective of morbidity in the population. Alternatively, the discrepancy may be influenced by patient proximity to accident and emergency (A&E).