AQW 13035/17-22 Written question to the Minister of Health
To ask the Minister of Health to detail the prevalence of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in each (i) local government district area; and (ii) Health and Social Care Trust.
Asked by Paula Bradshaw MLA on 20 January 2021
- Answered
- Written
- Tabled
- 20 January 2021
- Answer due by
- 4 February 2021
- Answered
- 27 January 20217 days after tabling
- Department
- Department of Health
- Priority question
- No
Answer
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is one of the disease registers in the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF), the purpose of which is to reward General Medical Services contractors for the provision of quality care. Prevalence data within the QOF are collected in the form of practice registers, with raw disease prevalence calculated as a proportion of the registered lists.
The COPD register contains the number of people diagnosed with COPD. As at 31 March 2020, there were 43,387 people on the COPD register; the Northern Ireland prevalence of COPD was 21.68 per 1,000 patients. The number of people on the register and the prevalence of COPD in (i) each Local Government District and (ii) each Health and Social Care Trust are shown in Tables 1 and 2.
Table 1 Prevalence of COPD (number of patients and rate of prevalence), at 31st March 2020, in each Local Government District (2014)
| LGD 20141 | Patients on the COPD register | COPD raw prevalence per 1,000 patients |
| Antrim and Newtownabbey | 2,738 | 20.84 |
| Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon | 4,498 | 20.12 |
| Belfast | 11,041 | 25.59 |
| Causeway Coast and Glens | 3,549 | 23.70 |
| Derry City and Strabane | 4,242 | 24.47 |
| Fermanagh and Omagh | 2,775 | 22.52 |
| Lisburn and Castlereagh | 1,870 | 15.86 |
| Mid and East Antrim | 3,284 | 22.87 |
| Mid Ulster | 2,863 | 18.42 |
| Newry, Mourne and Down | 3,498 | 18.40 |
| Ards and North Down | 3,029 | 18.71 |
Source: Payment Calculation and Analysis System
1 Patients are assigned to LGDs and HSCTs based on the postcode of the GP Practice at which they are registered
Table 2 Prevalence of COPD (number of patients and rate of prevalence), at 31st March 2020, in each Health and Social Care Trust (HSCT)
| Health and Social Care Trust1 | Patients on the COPD register | COPD raw prevalence per 1,000 patients |
| Belfast | 11,057 | 25.11 |
| Northern | 10,519 | 22.20 |
| South Eastern | 6,052 | 18.22 |
| Southern | 8,003 | 18.89 |
| Western | 7,756 | 23.38 |
Source: Payment Calculation and Analysis System
1 Patients are assigned to LGDs and HSCTs based on the postcode of the GP Practice at which they are registered