Hospital admissions due to vitamin deficiencies are soaring in England, NHS figures show

The number of people admitted to hospital in England due to vitamin or mineral deficiencies is soaring, analysis of NHS figures shows.

In 2023-2024 there were 191,927 admissions where the main reason was a lack of iron, an increase of 11% compared to 2022-2023. This figure is almost ten times greater than the 20,396 hospital admissions for iron deficiency in 1998-99.

There were also 2,630 admissions in 2023-24 where vitamin B deficiency (other than folic acid) was the main reason, a 15% increase on the previous year and more than triple the 833 in 1998-99, according to the NHS data.

Anemia due to vitamin B12 or folic acid deficiency resulted in 3,490 hospital admissions in 2023-24, similar to the previous year but quadrupling from 836 in 1998-99, an analysis by news agency PA Media showed.

Doctors said the significant increase in admissions due to vitamin deficiency was worrying.

Prof. Kamila Hawthorne, President of the Royal College of GPs (RCGP), said: “The almost tenfold increase in admissions for patients diagnosed with iron deficiency and a fourfold increase in folate deficiencies – mainly caused by a lack of nutrition in the the diet – is particularly disturbing.

“We have seen fresh, healthier foods rise in price in recent years, making a nutritious diet increasingly unaffordable for some, while fast food is cheap, filling and easily accessible, but contains little nutritious content. GPs are on the front lines of this public health crisis, caring for patients who are suffering the health consequences of increasing hardship.”

A recent survey of RCGP members found that 74% had seen an increase in the number of presentations related to poverty in the past year, Hawthorne said. “It is unacceptable that a developed country like Britain is seeing an increase in the number of conditions linked to poverty and poor nutrition, and yet this is the reality.”

The analysis found that when looking at patients who were admitted for any reason but were also recorded as having a vitamin deficiency, the affected numbers were even higher.

In 2023-2024, there were 804,936 courses of NHS treatment involving people with iron deficiency anemia, compared to 721,650 the year before.

There were also 38,140 treatment courses involving people with vitamin B12 deficiency anemia, compared with 35,983 the year before, and 227,097 treatment courses for other B vitamin deficiencies, compared with 201,320.

There were 486 courses of treatment for people with vitamin C deficiency, compared to 338 the year before, and 773 cases involving calcium deficiency, compared to 758.

Hawthorne urged ministers to commit to a prevention-based approach to healthcare, which she said would not only improve people’s quality of life “but ultimately reduce pressure on the healthcare system”.

A government spokesperson said: “Lord Darzi’s report exposed the poor health of our nation, which is putting pressure on our NHS services. Our 10-year health plan will shift the focus of healthcare from disease to prevention and will include measures to ensure people have access to a healthy and balanced diet. Through the plan for change, we will rebuild the country’s foundations to ensure everyone can live healthier lives for longer.”