Hospital episode statistics show that in 2001/02 there were 15,700 hospitalisations in National Health Service hospitals in England where congenital heart disease was the principal diagnosis. Overall there were over 72,000 days of inpatient care due to congenital heart disease. These represent around 0.1% of all inpatients cases and all inpatients days in England. 

In around 70% of the hospitalisations for congenital heart disease the patient was a child aged 0-14 years. In 5% of hospitalisations, the patient was 60 years or above. The mean age of inpatients was 16 years.