Band 7+: The chart below shows figures for attendances at hospital emergency care departments in Northern Ireland by age group in December 2016 and December 2017. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.

The bar chart illustrates the attendance rates per 1,000 population across six age groups in December 2016 and December 2017.

Overall, the highest attendance rates were observed among the youngest age group (under 5) and the oldest group (75 and over) in both years, while the middle-aged groups had comparatively lower rates. Notable increases were evident across all age categories from 2016 to 2017.

In December 2016, the under-5 age group recorded the highest attendance rate at approximately 70 per 1,000 population. The 75-and-over group followed closely, with about 60 attendances per 1,000. In contrast, the age groups 5–15, 16–44, and 45–64 had significantly lower rates, ranging between 20 and 40 per 1,000. The 65–74 age group showed a moderate attendance rate of roughly 40 per 1,000.

By December 2017, the attendance rates had risen across all categories. The under-5 group saw an increase to nearly 75 per 1,000, maintaining its position as the highest-attending group. Similarly, the 75-and-over group rose to about 65 per 1,000. The 65–74 group experienced a slight improvement, while the younger and middle-aged groups, though still lower in comparison, also showed modest increases.

In summary, the data highlights that the youngest and oldest age groups consistently had the highest attendance rates, and overall attendance improved slightly across all age groups in 2017 compared to 2016.