Chronic liver disease: hospital stays

The Excel workbook CLD hospital stay rates – sex (76KB) provides information on trends in European age standardised rates (EASRs) for chronic liver disease hospital stays in Scotland, by sex, for financial years 1982/83 to 2022/23. Chart 1 shows:

• In 2022/23, there were 194.1 hospital stays per 100,000 population including a diagnosis of chronic liver disease, a decrease of 1.5% compared to the previous year.

• There was an upward trend in the rate of general acute hospital admissions (stays) which included a diagnosis of chronic liver disease from 1986/87 to 2006/07 (181.4 per 100,000 population), after which rates remained fairly stable until 2011/12. Rates then reached a new peak in 2016/17 (208.7 per 100,000 population) and have subsequently decreased up to 2022/23.
• In 2022/23, male hospital stay rates (249.4 stays per 100,000 population) for chronic liver disease were 1.8 times higher than those reported for females (138.7 stays per 100,000 population).

• In 2022/23, chronic liver disease hospital stay rates were 4.1 times higher than the rates in 1982/83. Over this time period, the increase in the rate of hospital stays with a diagnosis of chronic liver disease was larger for males (4.5 times) than for females (3.4 times).

The Excel workbook CLD hospital stay rates – age group (76KB) provides information on trends in EASRs for chronic liver disease hospital stays in Scotland, by age group, for financial years 1982/83 to 2022/23. In summary, Chart 2 shows:

• In 2022/23, hospital stay rates for chronic liver disease were highest for people aged 65 years and over (432 per 100,000 population).
• Between 1982/83 and 2022/23, hospital stay rates for chronic liver disease have increased across all age groups. The largest increases in rate was in the 65 years and over (5.9 times) age group.

The Excel workbook CLD hospital stay rates – conditions (76KB) provides information on trends in EASRs for chronic liver disease hospital stays in Scotland, by condition, for financial years 1982/83 to 2022/23. In summary, Chart 3 shows:

• The main cause of chronic liver disease hospital stays is alcoholic liver disease. In 1982/83 a diagnosis of alcoholic liver disease was included in 54.2% of chronic liver disease hospital stays. This peaked in 2007/08 at 78.8% and there has been a general decrease since then.

• Stays with a diagnosis of alcoholic liver disease increased more than five-fold between 1982/83 and 2017/18 (26.2 compared with 140.8 per 100,000 population). Rates have decreased since to 122.4 per 100,000 population in 2022/23.
• Rates for other chronic liver disease (non-alcoholic) have increased most years, from 24.3 per 100,000 population in 1990/91 to 71.7 per 100,000 population in 2022/23.

The Excel workbook CLD hospital stay rates – deprivation (76KB) provides information on trends in EASRs for chronic liver disease hospital stays in Scotland, by deprivation deciles (Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation), for financial years 1996/97 to 2022/23. In summary, Chart 4 shows:

• In 2022/23, chronic liver disease hospital stay rates were 4.4 times higher in the most deprived areas (401.2 per 100,000 population) compared to the least deprived areas (91.6 per 100,000 population).
• The rate of hospital stays for chronic liver disease has increased across all deprivation deciles between 1996/97 and 2022/23.

The Excel workbook CLD hospital stay rates - NHS Boards (76KB) provides information on trends in EASRs for chronic liver disease hospital stays in Scotland, by NHS Board, for financial years 1982/83 to 2022/23. In summary:

• There has been an increase in chronic liver disease hospital stay rates in all NHS Boards between 1982/83 and 2022/23.
• Hospital stay rates for chronic liver disease in 2022/23 among mainland boards were highest in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (262.9) and for islands boards were highest in NHS Western Isles (296.0 stays per 100,000 population).
• The boards with the lowest hospital stay rates for chronic liver disease were NHS Shetland (102.2) and NHS Borders (104.1 per 100,000 population).