AQW 10696/22-27 Written question to the Minister of Health
To ask the Minister of Health how many adults had recorded sodium levels of less than 112, broken down by hospital, in each year since 2017.
Asked by Connie Egan MLA on 23 April 2024
- Answered
- Written
- Tabled
- 23 April 2024
- Answer due by
- 9 May 2024
- Answered
- 8 May 202415 days after tabling
- Department
- Department of Health
- Priority question
- No
Answer
Information on the number of adults i.e. people aged 18 and over, with particular recorded sodium levels is not held centrally. Each of the five Health and Social Care Trusts (HSCTs) was, therefore, asked to provide a response.
Figures for the numbers of adults in Southern, South Eastern, and Western HSCTs with sodium results of less than 112 mmol/L, broken down by hospital, in each financial year since 2016/17, are given in Table 1 which follows.
Belfast and Northern HSCTs provided figures that are not directly comparable to those in Table 1. These figures are given in Tables 2 and 3.
Southern, South Eastern, and Western HSCTs
Southern, South Eastern and Western HSCTs provided data which have been combined in the following table in response to this question.
Table 1. Number1 of adults with sodium results of
less than 112 mmol/L, by hospital and financial year
| Hospital | 16/17 | 17/18 | 18/19 | 19/20 | 20/21 | 21/22 | 22/23 | 23/24 |
| Craigavon Area2 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 10 | 19 | 21 | 26 | 31 |
| Daisy Hill2 | 5 | 5 | 15 | 9 | <5 | 8 | 9 | 13 |
| Ulster3 | <5 | 22 | 9 | 13 | 18 | 18 | 14 | 20 |
| Altnagelvin | 5 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 15 | 13 | 23 | 21 |
| South West Acute | 5 | 7 | 9 | 7 | <5 | 6 | 8 | 5 |
Source: Southern, South Eastern, and Western HSCTs.
1Figures between 1 and 4 have been suppressed to prevent patient disclosure.
2Less than, or equal to, 112 mmol/L.
3There is a nil return for Ards and Bangor Community Hospitals. Figures for Downe and Lagan Valley Hospitals are held by Belfast Labs and are, therefore, not included in South Eastern HSCT’s response.
Belfast HSCT
While Belfast HSCT did not break down its data by financial year, it did provide the following table in response to this question, which extends over two pages.
Table 2. Number1 of adults with sodium results of
less than 112 mmol/L
| Hospital | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | Total |
| Belfast City Hospital | 6 | 14 | 8 | 12 | <5 | 5 | 9 | 7 | 63 |
| Belvoir Park Hospital2 | <5 | <5 | <5 | <5 | <5 | <5 | <5 | <5 | 17 |
| Mater Infirmorum Hospital | 13 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 12 | 7 | 68 |
| Musgrave Park Hospital | <5 | <5 | <5 | <5 | <5 | <5 | 5 | 0 | 12 |
| Northern Ireland Hospice | 0 | 0 | <5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | <5 |
| Royal Maternity Hospital | <5 | <5 | 0 | <5 | <5 | <5 | <5 | <5 | 13 |
| Hospital | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | Total |
| Royal Victoria Hospital | 18 | 33 | 28 | 27 | 42 | 45 | 52 | 56 | 301 |
| Lagan Valley Hospital3 | <5 | 8 | <5 | <5 | <5 | <5 | 0 | <5 | 21 |
| Downe Hospital3 | 0 | <5 | <5 | <5 | 0 | 0 | <5 | <5 | 10 |
Source: Belfast HSCT.
1Figures between 1 and 4 have been suppressed to prevent patient disclosure.
2Figures for Belvoir Park Hospital relate to the Cancer Centre BCH as this is how these figures are recorded on LabCenter and some IT Systems.
3Figures for Lagan Valley and Downe Hospitals are held by Belfast Labs and are, therefore, included in Belfast HSCT’s response.
Northern HSCT
While Northern HSCT did not break down its data by hospital or financial year, it did provide the following table in response to this question.
Table 3. Number of adults with sodium results of
less than, or equal to, 112 mmol/L
| 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | Total | |
| No. of events1 | 27 | 31 | 34 | 33 | 22 | 34 | 34 | 9 | 224 |
Source: Northern HSCT.
1Laboratory-based sodium data for each presentation by an adult with a sodium result of less than, or equal to, 112 mmol/L.