Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people have had their feet amputated as a result of diabetes in each of the last five years.

The following table shows the number of finished consultant episodes (FCEs)[1] with a primary diagnosis[2] of diabetes and a primary or secondary procedure of foot amputation[3], by year for 2008-09 to 2012-13[4]. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and changes in provision of care.[5]

Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The Health and Social Care Information Centre

[1] A finished consultant episode (FCE) is a continuous period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. FCEs are counted against the year in which they end. Figures do not represent the number of different patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the same stay in hospital or in different stays in the same year.

[2] The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and 7 prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was admitted to hospital.

[3] The number of episodes where the procedure (or intervention) was recorded in any of the 24 (12 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and 4 prior to 2002-03) procedure fields in a Hospital Episode Statistics record. A record is only included once in each count, even if the procedure is recorded in more than one procedure field of the record. Note that more procedures are carried out than episodes with a main or secondary procedure. For example, patients undergoing a ‘cataract operation’ would tend to have at least two procedures – removal of the faulty lens and the fitting of a new one – counted in a single episode.

[4] Assessing growth though time. HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and coverage (particularly in earlier years), improvements in coverage of independent sector activity (particularly from 2006-07) and changes in NHS practice. For example, changes in activity may be due to changes in the provision of care.

[5] There is no available data for 2013-14.