§ Dr. KumarTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many school-age children suffered from(a) chronic illness, (b) asthma and (c) cancer in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement. [22490]
§ Yvette CooperData on the number of chronically ill children are not collected, but it is estimated that approximately one in three of the population suffers from one or more of a wide range of chronic conditions including arthritis, diabetes, epilepsy and asthma.
There are no comprehensive data on the number of people with asthma but it is estimated to affect 4 to 6 per cent, of children sufficiently severely to require medical supervision. The table shows hospital admissions for patients aged five to 14 years. The table does not show actual incidence of asthma—some patients may be admitted more than once and many sufferers may never need hospital admission.
Admissions for patients aged five to 14 years in national health service hospitals, England—completed episodes with primary diagnosis asthma J45–J46 (ICD10) Year Number 2000–01 11,147 1999–2000 11,703 1998–99 11,896 1997–98 12,885 1996–97 12,471 Notes:
- 1. Ordinary admissions and day cases combined.
- 2. Figures for 1996–97 to 1997–98 have been grossed for coverage and for unknown or invalid clinical data; figures for 1998–99 onwards have not yet been adjusted for shortfalls in data.
Source:
Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health
The table shows numbers of cancer cases registered by age and year of diagnosis.
950W
Cancer diagnosed in children aged five to 14 years in England, 1995–99 Year Total 1995 717 1996 629 1997 648 1998 605 1999 621 Source:
National Registry of Childhood Tumours, University of Oxford Department of Paediatrics