A review of hospital discharge rates in a population around Camelford in North Cornwall up to the fifth anniversary of an episode of aluminium sulphate absorption.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the pollution caused by the aluminium sulphate emptied into the water at the Lowermoor Treatment Works on the standardized hospital discharge ratios in the Camelford area, Cornwall.
METHOD: Comparisons were made between the Camelford area and other localities in Cornwall of standardized hospital discharge ratios up to five years following the pollution incident. The diagnoses of discharges were defined by ICD 9 code and grouped in chapters. The figures for Camelford were compared with those for Cornwall.
RESULTS: Since the pollution incident, the standardized discharge ratio has increased in the Camelford area compared with Cornwall. No similar increase was observed in other localities of Cornwall. No one diagnosis was found to cause this increase.
CONCLUSIONS: The pollution of the water to the people of Camelford has raised hospital discharges. Monitoring of hospital discharges will continue.