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Hospital admissions by age
Hospital admissions and deaths were highest among older people
Estimated percentage of the population testing positive for COVID-19 in the week ending 18 June 2022, hospital admission rates in the week ending 19 June 2022, and deaths registered in the week ending 17 June 2022, by age, England
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Infections increased in all age groups in the latest week (ending 18 June 2022). Infections were lower in those aged 2 years to school Year 6 and school Year 7 to 11, and higher in adult age groups.
Hospital admission rates increased in all age groups, except those aged 5 to 14 years where the rate remained similar, in the latest week (ending 19 June 2022). The largest increase was for those aged 85 years and over where rates remained highest. Admission rates were lowest for those aged 5 to 14 years.
The number of deaths involving COVID-19 decreased in groups aged 55 to 84 years but remained similar in all other age groups (week ending 17 June 2022). Deaths were highest in those aged 85 years and over (113 deaths) and lowest in groups aged under 15 years, where there were none.
The data used in the chart come from our Coronavirus Infection Survey, UKHSA's National flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports, and our Deaths registered weekly in England and Wales, provisional.
Last updated: 28/06/2022
COVID-19-positive admissions remain below January 2021 peak levels for groups aged five years and over
COVID-19-positive hospital admissions as a percentage of the rate during the January peak (rate in week ending 17 January 2021 = 100%), by age, England
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Hospital admission rates increased across all age groups, except those aged 5 to 14 years where the rate remained similar, in the week ending 19 June 2022. However, rates remain below the peak levels from 17 January 2021 in all age groups aged five years and over, despite current overall infection levels being slightly higher. For those aged under five years, admission rates were higher than the peak levels from 17 January 2021, after being lower for the previous 5 weeks.
For groups aged 45 years and over, rates are less than one-quarter of the January 2021 peak levels. The overall admission rate continued to be highest in those aged 85 years and over and lowest in those aged 5 to 14 years.
The age differences between current rates and those seen in January 2021 likely reflect vaccine uptake in different age groups and the age prioritisation of the vaccination booster programme in England.
Last updated: 24/06/2022
Read more about this in UKHSA’s National flu and COVID-19 surveillance report
Hospital admissions by region
Infections and hospitalisations increased in most English regions, but trends in deaths varied
Estimated coronavirus (COVID-19) positivity rates, overall hospital admission rates with intensive care unit (ICU) and high dependency unit (HDU) admissions, and number of deaths, by English regions, 30 April to 19 June 2022
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Infection rates increased in all regions, except the North East and South East where the trend was uncertain, in the week ending 18 June 2022. Overall hospital admission rates increased in all regions, except the South West where the rate remained similar, in the week ending 19 June 2022. The increases seen in Yorkshire and the Humber and the East Midlands were smaller than those in other regions. ICU and HDU admissions remained very low across all regions. Deaths involving COVID-19 decreased in five out of nine English regions in the week ending 17 June 2022. Deaths increased in the North East, the East of England and London, and remained similar in the South West.
There is a delay between a person becoming infected with COVID-19 and being admitted to hospital or dying. Therefore, we expect changes in trends in overall hospital admissions, ICU and HDU admissions and deaths to be observed later than changes in infections. Infections refer to the percentage testing positive and hospital admissions show rates per 100,000 people in each NHS catchment trust area. Deaths figures are the number of deaths registered in the time period. The number of deaths in each region will be affected by population size and do not necessarily reflect the rate of deaths.
The data used in the chart come from our Coronavirus Infection Survey, UKHSA's National flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports, and our Deaths registered weekly in England and Wales, provisional.
Last updated: 28/06/2022
Hospital admissions
Overall hospital admissions involving COVID-19 increased, while ICU and HDU admissions remain very low
Weekly overall COVID-19-positive hospital admission rates and intensive care unit (ICU) and high dependency unit (HDU) admission rates per 100,000 people, England, weeks ending 9 August 2020 to 19 June 2022
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Overall hospital admissions of COVID-19-confirmed patients increased to 8.20 per 100,000 people, while ICU and HDU admissions remained very low at 0.20 per 100,000 people in the latest week (ending 19 June 2022). ICU and HDU admissions remain around their lowest level since June 2021.
Infection levels in the latest week are slightly higher than the Alpha variant peak in January 2021. In that week, overall hospital admissions were over four times higher (36.68 per 100,000 people) and ICU and HDU admissions were around 12 times higher (2.43 per 100,000 people, week ending 10 January 2021) than in the latest week.
Last updated: 24/06/2022
Read more about this in UKHSA’s National flu and COVID-19 surveillance report
COVID-19 is no longer the most common primary reason for admission for those in critical care with a positive COVID-19 test
Number of COVID-19 confirmed critical care admissions with COVID-19 reported as primary versus secondary reason for admission, and percentage of critical care admissions with confirmed COVID-19 where COVID-19 was the primary reason for admission, England, Wales and Northern Ireland
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Between February 2020 and December 2021 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, patients for whom COVID-19 was the primary reason for admission to critical care accounted for more than 9 in 10 of all patients admitted to critical care with COVID-19. This trend started to change towards the end of December 2021 in the transition period between Delta being the dominant variant and Omicron being the dominant variant.
Between January 2022 and March 2022, when Omicron was the dominant variant, the majority of patients admitted to critical care with COVID-19 had other primary reasons for admission. In March 2022, one-third of patients (33%) admitted to critical care with COVID-19 were admitted primarily due to COVID-19 and two-thirds (67%) were admitted with COVID-19 as a secondary reason. For patients with COVID-19 reported as a secondary reason for admission, COVID-19 may or may not have contributed to the reason for admission.
The number of patients admitted to critical care with COVID-19 as the primary reason fell from 761 in January 2022 to 193 in March 2022.
You can read about the vaccination status of patients admitted to critical care with COVID-19 on our Vaccines page.
Last updated: 20/05/2022
Most patients admitted to critical care with COVID-19 were discharged
Outcomes for patients admitted to critical care with confirmed COVID-19 from 1 May 2021 to 31 March 2022, England, Wales and Northern Ireland
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A total of 16,727 patients were admitted to critical care with confirmed COVID-19 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland between May 2021 and March 2022. Of these, around two-thirds (67%) were discharged, almost one in three (30%) died in critical care and 3% are still in critical care.
Of those who were discharged from critical care, the majority (89%) went on to be discharged from hospital completely. Around 1 in 16 (6%) patients discharged from critical care are still in hospital and 4% died in hospital.
The proportion of patients admitted to critical care with confirmed COVID-19 who died in critical care has reduced over the COVID-19 pandemic, with nearly 4 in 10 (38%) dying between September 2020 and April 2021.
Last updated: 20/05/2022
Further information
Data on overall hospital admissions, and ICU and HDU admissions presented here are collected by the UK Health Security Agency and available on the GOV.UK coronavirus dashboard and national flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports. This data come from the Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) Watch surveillance system, which monitors the number of patients with confirmed flu and COVID-19 admitted to hospital and critical care units (ICU and HDU) in England. These data are provisional and subject to revision, and previous estimates may be updated in subsequent weeks.
To find out more about hospital admissions data visit our more information page.
More information on hospitals and health is available on each of the relevant nation's websites: Public Health Agency (PHA) for Northern Ireland, Public Health Scotland (PHS), and Public Health Wales (PHW).