Emergency hospital admissions for pneumonia in England have surged to more than half a million cases per year, according to new analysis by the charity Asthma + Lung UK. The figures, based on NHS England data from April 2024 to March 2025, show 579,475 cases requiring emergency hospitalisation, a 25% increase from 461,995 cases two years earlier.
Pneumonia is now the leading cause of emergency admissions, accounting for more than double the number of cases of the next most common condition. Between April 2022 and March 2025, over 97,000 people died from pneumonia after being hospitalised. The charity warns that preventable cases are adding pressure to already overstretched A&E departments.
Dr Andy Whittamore, clinical lead at Asthma + Lung UK, said: 'These alarming figures are the result of respiratory care being neglected and deprioritised for too long. Following recommended basic care guidelines for respiratory conditions can save and transform lives. However, too often we’re not getting the basics right.'
The analysis also highlights stark health inequalities, with people in deprived areas 36% more likely to be admitted with pneumonia, often due to living in damp, mouldy housing or areas with high air pollution. Professor Nick Hopkinson, medical director at the charity, linked the rise to austerity policies introduced in 2010, noting that lung disease is 'very tied up with inequality'.
Asthma + Lung UK is calling for a national strategy for respiratory illness to improve basic care, including regular treatment reviews, action plans, and vaccinations. A recent survey found that only 32% of asthma patients and 8.8% of those with COPD received all fundamental elements of basic care.
