Workload in oral and maxillofacial surgery: analysis of time trends from linked statistics in a defined population

Data from the Oxford Region were used to study trends in hospital admission rates and demographic profiles of hospital care in the National Health Service in oral and maxillofacial surgery. In a defined population of 1.9 million people, admission rates for inpatient care, day case care, and outpatient attendance rates all almost doubled between 1975-1985. Population-based age-specific admission rates were much higher in teenagers and young adults than in other age-groups. In these age-groups admission rates for females were about double those for males. Whilst perhaps not surprising to the oral and maxillofacial surgeon, these demographic profiles of workload are strikingly different from those found in most other hospital specialties.