Characterising poison centre enquiries by socioeconomic deprivation: provisional findings from a review of hospital enquiries to a UK poisons information centre

Background Poisoning is an important public health issue. The English Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) is a socioeconomic analytical tool that can be used to explore population level inequalities at neighbourhood level. We undertook a pilot assessment to ascertain whether linking poison centre data with the IMD is possible, and to determine whether this approach could support exploration of the links between socioeconomic deprivation and demographic elements of poisoning in England.Methods We retrospectively reviewed anonymised enquiries from English hospitals to a single poison centre between 01/01/2024 and 31/03/2024. Residential postcodes of patients who were the subject of poison centre enquiries were validated through the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government to retrieve deprivation scores.Results There were 508 patient-related enquiries, and a deprivation score was available in 492 (97%). Most cases (n = 297, 60%) were from more deprived areas, with fewer cases (n = 195, 40%) from the least deprived areas. Patients of non-White ethnicity were more likely to be residents of areas with higher levels of deprivation compared to White ethnicity patients.Discussion Linking anonymised poison centre enquiries to government deprivation data is possible. Initial analysis revealed that the majority of cases handled by our poison centre were predominantly involving patients living in the most deprived areas of England. Patients of non-White ethnicity were more likely to be from the most deprived areas.Conclusions Integrating anonymised poison centre data with government data to investigate associations between socioeconomic deprivation status and poisoning is possible. Further surveillance is required to identify any opportunities for public health interventions.