What is HES?

Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) provide information on inpatients and day cases in NHS hospitals in England from 1989. The HES data are a subset of the data submitted by NHS Trusts to the NHS-wide Clearing Service. HES does not currently have data on outpatient attendances but will in future. Nationally there are approximately 12 million admitted patient records for each financial year.

The North East PHO has access to a safe haven extract of regional data and to national data via the HES online system. The regional extract consists of data relating to patients resident in, treated in, or registered with GPs in the North East of England. Other organisations in the North East that have access to HES through the online system include Strategic Health Authorities and the Regional Public Health Group.

HES is not a live system and there is a time lag (usually 9-12 months) between the end of the financial year and the availability of data through HES online or as part of the safe haven extract.

HES Facts from the North East Region

• Population: 2.6 million;
• Hospital admissions per year: 670,000;
• Proportion male admissions : 45%;
• Proportion aged 65 and over: 34%;
• Cancer admissions per year: 70,000;
• Heart disease admissions per year: 18,400;
• Stroke admissions per year: 5,300.