HC Deb 25 June 2002 vol 387 cc849-50W
Mr. Cousins

To ask the Secretary of State for Health on the basis of the findings of the high level performance indicators and clinical indicators, what the(a) death rate, (b) death rate for cancer, (c) rate of admissions for serious injury and (d) teenage conception rate was (i) in each former health authority or present primary care trust area in the Government office north east area and (ii) on average in England; and if differences are widening in each case. [62202]

Mr. Lammy

The death rate, death rate for cancer, rate of admissions for serious injury and teenage conception rates can be found in the "Compendium of Clinical and Health Indicators 2001" in the Library.

In addition for teenage conception, new data for the year 2000 were published by the Office for National Statistics in Health Statistics Quarterly 13 (February 2002). This is also available in the Library.

These sources contain the rates for England, Government office regions (GOR) and at former health authority level. Data are not currently available for primary care trusts.

The data show that: Death rates have fallen considerably during the 1990s for both England and the north east GOR. The absolute difference between the death rates for England and for north east GOR has narrowed over this period. In 1990 the average mortality rate in north east GOR was 15 per cent. higher than the average for England, in 2000 it was 13 per cent. higher. Death rates for cancer have fallen considerably during the 1990s for both England and the north east GOR. The absolute difference between the death rates for England and that for the north east GOR has narrowed over this period. However in relative terms there has been little change (it was 16 per cent. higher in both 1990 and 2000). Overall, hospital admission rates for serious injury have increased between 1995–96 and 1999–2000, although the number of years for which these data are available is not sufficient to establish a clear trend. The north east GOR has higher admission rates than the England average throughout this period and the gap has widened between England and the north east GOR both in absolute and relative terms (from 9 per cent. higher in 1995–96 to 15 per cent. higher in 1999–2000 in relative terms). The teenage conception rate for girls and young women under I8-years-old in the year 2000 was 6.2 per cent. lower in England and 10.0 per cent. lower for the north east GOR than in 1998. Although the rate for the north east was still higher than for England in 2000, the gap between the two areas was less both in absolute and relative terms than it was in 1998 (21 per cent. higher in 1998 and 16 per cent. higher in 2000 in relative terms).