Winter emergency pressures for the NHS: contribution of respiratory disease, experience in North Staffordshire district.

The rise in emergency medical admissions in winter in the NHS hospitals in the United Kingdom has been recognized to reflect respiratory and cardiovascular illness. In our study we looked at the contribution of respiratory disease to the winter pressures in our district. Respiratory disease related emergency admissions increased twofold in the winter months, with obvious implications for workload. An evidence-based National Service Framework for respiratory disease would be useful.