HC Deb 28 March 2000 vol 347 c124W
Audrey Wise

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his reply of 14 February 2000,Official Report, column 387W, if he will list for the years for which they are available the estimated numbers of women diagnosed as receiving hospital care for miscarriage grossed to allow for missing, incomplete and inaccurate records; and if he will give an indication of the accuracy and completeness of this information. [113093]

Yvette Cooper

It is regretted that the reply of 14 February was incorrect. The information provided in the table showing the estimated numbers of women diagnosed as receiving hospital care for miscarriage for the years prior to 1997–98 was grossed to allow for missing, incomplete and inaccurate records. The difference between grossed and ungrossed figures in recent years is between 3-4 per cent. The following table contains the information requested.

Year Number of miscarriages
1989–90 48,500
1990–91 50,600
1991–92 53,100
1992–93 52,400
1993–94 51,300
1994–95 48,700
1995–96 43,900
1996–97 44,500
1997–98 141,800
1 Provisional

The information in the table is obtained from the Hospital Episodes Statistics system. The data for the years prior to 1997–98 are grossed and have been adjusted to allow for missing, incomplete or inaccurate records.

Data extracted were those with the diagnosis code OO3 (ICD-10) Spontaneous Abortion.

Forward to