HC Deb 12 March 1992 vol 205 cc628-35W
Mr. Nellist

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will tabulate the number of incidents and fatalities for each type of meningitis(a) per district health authority and (b) per regional health authority, for each of the last 10 years, or the most convenient period.

Mr. Dorrell

[holding answer 9 March 1992]: The information is not available in the form requested. Cases of infectious diseases are notified by the doctor in attendance to the proper officer for each local authority area. Notifications of meningitis are therefore not generally available at the district health authority level. However, the number of cases notified for each type of

Notifications of meningitis by Regional Health Authority 1981
Regional Health Authority Meningitis meningococcal Meningitis pneumococcal Meningitis influenzal Meningitis viral Meningitis other specified Meningitis unspecified Meningitis all forms
Northern 25 n.a. n.a. n.a. 12 13 50
Yorkshire 43 n.a. n.a. n.a. 32 107 182
Trent 27 n.a. n.a. n.a. 35 58 120
East Anglian 14 n.a. n.a. n.a. 7 7 28
North West Thames 33 n.a. n.a. n.a. 28 22 83
North East Thames 35 n.a. n.a. n.a. 48 21 104
South East Thames 34 n.a. n.a. n.a. 74 39 147
South West Thames 18 n.a. n.a. n.a. 65 17 100
Wessex 38 n.a. n.a. n.a. 18 11 67
Oxford 16 n.a. n.a. n.a. 20 5 41
South Western 26 n.a. n.a. n.a. 20 5 51
West Midlands 37 n.a. n.a. n.a. 33 35 105
Mersey 24 n.a. n.a. n.a. 55 12 91
North Western 53 n.a. n.a. n.a. 60 27 140
Wales 41 n.a. n.a. n.a. 28 15 84

Notification of meningitis by Regional Health Authority 1982
Regional Health Authority Meningitis meningococcal Meningitis pneumococcal Meningitis influenzal Meningitis viral Meningitis other specified Meningitis unspecified Meningitis all forms
Northern 20 3 9 17 0 11 60
Yorkshire 39 6 19 72 13 24 173
Trent 26 8 15 11 27 17 104
East Anglian 14 4 5 14 4 3 44
North West Thames 22 4 8 13 10 14 71
North East Thames 35 8 11 13 11 12 90
South East Thames 49 12 19 26 11 9 126
South West Thames 11 5 11 17 3 5 52
Wessex 25 3 10 4 6 4 52
Oxford 16 2 5 8 2 1 34
South Western 22 4 6 7 2 8 49
West Midlands 30 8 16 31 9 7 101
Mersey 30 4 13 36 10 10 103
North Western 48 10 18 42 6 14 138
Wales 23 6 12 10 17 6 74

Notification of meningitis by Regional Health Authority 1983
Regional Health Authority Meningitis meningococcal Meningitis pneumococcal Meningitis influenzal Meningitis viral Meningitis other specified Meningitis unspecified Meningitis all forms
Northern 11 7 11 12 7 5 53
Yorkshire 37 4 27 91 17 20 186
Trent 41 4 15 5 9 17 91
East Anglian 11 4 4 6 1 2 28
North West Thames 28 3 8 17 16 11 83
North East Thames 26 8 7 12 3 7 63
South East Thames 26 8 13 3 1 7 58
South West Thames 19 5 12 12 5 3 56
Wessex 29 3 10 4 3 7 56
Oxford 13 4 4 12 1 5 39
South Western 50 4 10 4 5 6 79
West Midlands 27 5 17 28 12 8 97

meningitis at regional health authority level for the years 1981 to 1990, is shown in the tables. The data for 1991 are not yet available.

The information in respect of fatalities could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Irregular and unexplained upsurges of meningitis, particularly of meningococcal infection, occur in the United Kingdom. The location of outbreaks cannot be predicted, although it is known that most cases occur in the winter months.

A vaccine—"Hib"—against invasive haemophilus disease, one of the major causes of bacterial meningitis, is to be added to the United Kingdom infant immunisation schedule from next October. This should help to reduce considerably the overall total reports of deaths and illness from meningitis.

Regional Health Authority Meningitis meningococcal Meningitis pneumococcal Meningitis influenzal Meningitis viral Meningitis other specified Meningitis unspecified Meningitis all forms
Mersey 46 7 8 34 10 5 110
North Western 32 4 18 63 7 32 156
Wales 32 4 19 5 9 2 71

Notifications of meningitis by Regional Health Authority 1984
Regional Health Authority Meningitis meningococcal Meningitis pneumococcal Menginitis influenzal Menginitis viral Meningitis other specified Meningitis unspecified Meningitis all forms
Northern 17 9 4 6 3 5 44
Yorkshire 19 6 21 75 23 23 167
Trent 33 3 21 12 21 13 103
East Anglian 16 1 11 0 7 3 38
North West Thames 33 6 10 13 2 7 71
North East Thames 35 9 12 16 10 5 87
South East Thames 31 7 18 14 14 16 100
South West Thames 20 1 8 12 0 6 47
Wessex 17 2 12 8 4 3 46
Oxford 13 2 12 16 5 12 60
South Western 20 2 12 11 9 14 68
West Midlands 37 5 21 17 14 4 98
Mersey 43 7 19 21 11 14 115
North Western 33 11 23 13 11 17 108
Wales 34 7 13 10 7 7 78

Notifications of meningitis by Regional Health Authority 1985
Regional Health Authority Meningitis meningococcal Meningitis pneumococcal Meningitis influenzal Meningitis viral Meningitis other specified Meningitis unspecified Meningitis all forms
Northern 20 6 6 5 9 10 56
Yorkshire 40 9 16 60 34 26 185
Trent 44 8 23 20 23 17 135
East Anglian 20 3 13 13 6 6 61
North West Thames 43 5 9 13 5 7 82
North East Thames 38 5 7 26 9 8 93
South East Thames 41 3 12 15 6 13 90
South West Thames 30 6 15 15 3 8 77
Wessex 32 6 13 9 5 5 70
Oxford 21 2 22 24 3 11 83
South Western 35 5 9 16 31 9 105
West Midlands 49 5 10 30 14 17 125
Mersey 41 5 12 33 10 10 111
North Western 56 7 28 31 22 30 174
Wales 39 7 11 13 6 8 84

Notification of meningitis by Regional Health Authority 1986
Regional Health Authority Meningitis meningococcal Meningitis pneumococcal Meningitis influenzal Meningitis viral Meningitis other specified Meningitis unspecified Meningitis all forms
Northern 59 8 14 26 6 14 127
Yorkshire 95 15 19 113 46 28 316
Trent 69 13 22 17 26 23 170
East Anglian 15 5 9 13 4 3 49
North West Thames 43 6 19 20 6 15 109
North East Thames 47 10 11 15 8 8 99
South East Thames 56 4 16 23 11 13 123
South West Thames 40 5 13 31 8 6 103
Wessex 42 4 19 32 3 9 109
Oxford 18 5 17 17 9 9 75
South Western 67 6 12 26 16 11 138
West Midlands 93 29 25 32 16 42 237
Mersey 66 8 22 31 15 17 159
North Western 93 16 22 33 23 24 211
Wales 67 9 28 21 12 10 147

Notification of meningitis by Regional Health Authority 1987
Regional Health Authority Meningitis meningococcal Meningitis pneumococcal Meningitis influenzal Meningitis viral Meningitis other specified Meningitis unspecified Meningitis all forms
Northern 71 6 19 30 9 18 153
Yorkshire 104 16 21 75 26 29 281
Trent 72 15 13 44 25 17 186
East Anglian 20 2 12 12 4 7 57
North West Thames 62 10 19 23 12 13 139
North East Thames 55 8 13 43 14 24 157
South East Thames 89 12 36 40 22 28 227
South West Thames 47 5 27 42 6 13 140
Wessex 62 9 21 11 15 7 125
Oxford 51 7 38 17 12 13 138
South Western 58 9 9 24 15 9 134
West Midlands 104 13 35 75 27 24 278
Mersey 95 11 18 23 10 9 166
North Western 119 7 34 25 14 24 223
Wales 71 6 29 9 13 10 138

Notification of meningitis by Regional Health Authority 1988
Regional Health Authority Meningitis meningococcal Meningitis pneumococcal Meningitis influenzal Meningitis viral Meningitis other specified Meningitis unspecified Meningitis all forms
Northern 72 12 28 20 21 13 166
Yorkshire 103 11 40 59 49 27 289
Trent 111 30 27 90 24 26 308
East Anglian 31 4 11 7 6 8 67
North West Thames 82 15 32 29 8 8 174
North East Thames 71 11 22 25 6 20 155
South East Thames 109 14 31 46 18 24 242
South West Thames 55 12 25 29 7 14 142
Wessex 44 11 24 14 8 3 104
Oxford 44 13 34 21 12 11 135
South Western 87 15 28 34 33 11 208
West Midlands 160 18 32 37 27 33 307
Mersey 104 15 22 24 14 15 194
North Western 129 19 46 34 28 27 283
Wales 102 9 34 21 34 13 213

Notifications of meningitis by Regional Health Authority 1989
Regional Health Authority Meningitis meningococcal Meningitis pneumococcal Meningitis influenzal Meningitis viral Meningitis other specified Meningitis unspecified Meningitis all forms
Northern 59 14 29 15 13 17 147
Yorkshire 67 13 20 56 48 31 235
Trent 105 11 44 54 20 26 260
East Anglian 18 2 17 7 4 13 61
North West Thames 81 9 27 19 13 10 159
North East Thames 65 8 21 10 18 22 144
South East Thames 105 17 38 22 11 29 222
South West Thames 38 5 21 19 12 14 109
Wessex 43 12 33 19 11 14 132
Oxford 57 7 27 20 7 14 132
South Western 79 11 45 40 32 13 220
West Midlands 130 25 57 48 21 30 311
Mersey 75 9 18 24 8 15 149
North Western 119 19 32 36 25 22 253
Wales 91 12 41 8 27 8 187

Notification of meningitis by Regional Health Authority 1990
Regional Health Authority Meningitis meningococcal Meningitis pneumococcal Meningitis influenzal Meningitis viral Meningitis other specified Meningitis unspecified Meningitis all forms
Northern 76 10 23 13 9 15 146
Yorkshire 100 9 29 77 19 20 254
Trent 104 17 42 34 12 13 222
East Anglian 34 5 15 5 6 11 76
North West Thames 67 11 23 28 12 8 139
North East Thames 66 13 35 12 19 23 168
South East Thames 71 16 32 18 12 19 168
South West Thames 46 7 18 16 10 8 105

Regional Health Authority Meningitis meningococcal Meningitis pneumococcal Meningitis influenzal Meningitis viral Meningitis other specified Meningitis unspecified Meningitis all forms
Wessex 49 5 24 8 10 11 107
Oxford 42 7 30 20 6 10 115
South Western 85 8 20 35 17 23 188
West Midlands 116 17 49 28 20 32 262
Mersey 78 7 22 28 13 14 162
North Western 133 11 36 21 22 34 257
Wales 71 13 33 20 40 26 203