EMERGENCY admission rates to hospital are higher in Halton than anywhere in Britain, according to new figures.

People here are three quarters more likely to need emergency treatment than you would expect for the population.

It means people aren't getting the care the rest of the country is getting when their illness is only developing.

Halton Primary Care Trust (PCT), who are responsible for health care in Halton, said the high rate was partly down to how a health think tank analysed the data.

But a spokesperson said: "However, even taking this into account the figures are high and the PCT has already made addressing emergency admissions a major priority."

The PCT says it has invested in the Evercare programme where older patients are closely monitored before they become ill. It is also spending money on better managing chronic diseases, like diabetes and heart disease.

"Our expectation is that a similar assessment in 12 months will demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach," said the spokesperson.

Halton Council said the problem was partly down to the fact that many long-term illnesses were still managed by hospitals when they could be dealt with by GPs.

It is investing in intermediate care, where patients get a spell of care either at home or in a short stay residential home, to stop them going into hospital.