A detailed analysis was published of deaths occurring in England and Wales in 2001, by sex, age and cause of death. (This was the first annual publication where the Tenth Revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10) was used to produce mortality statistics. ICD-10 more closely reflects current medical knowledge than previous versions, for example on HIV/AIDS.)
Source: Mortality Statistics: Review of the Registrar General on deaths by cause, sex and age, in England and Wales, 2001, Office for National Statistics (0845 601 3034)
Links: Report (pdf) | Press release
Date: 2002-Dec
An article presented statistics on stillbirths and infant deaths (deaths under one year of age) in England and Wales in 2001, which have been linked to their corresponding birth records. Death rates were highest among mothers aged under 20, babies of mothers born in Pakistan, births outside marriage, and among manual social classes.
Source: 'Infant and perinatal mortality by social and biological factors, 2001', Health Statistics Quarterly 16, Winter 2002, Office for National Statistics, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Article (pdf)
Date: 2002-Nov
Figures for life expectancy at birth for local authorities in England and Wales were published for 1991-2001, the figures for 1999-2001 having been calculated using the 2001 Census results. The difference in life expectancy at birth between the local authorities with the highest and lowest figures was 9.9 years for males and 7.2 years for females.
Source: Life Expectancy at Birth by Local Authority in England and Wales: 1991 to 2001, Office for National Statistics (0845 601 3034)
Links: Report (pdf) | Press release (pdf)
Date: 2002-Nov
An article said that survival rates for cancer have been seriously underestimated, discouraging doctors and depressing patients. For some cancers, the number of people surviving 20 years is more than a third higher than previously thought.
Source: Hermann Brenner, 'Long-term survival rates of cancer patients achieved by the end of the 20th century: a period analysis', The Lancet 26.10.02 (020 7424 4910)
Links: Article (pdf)
Date: 2002-Oct
The highest number of deaths in England and Wales in 2000 occurred in January, and the fewest in September. A seasonal pattern of more deaths occurring in winter and fewer in summer was found for most causes of death, with cancer the main exception.
Source: Mortality Statistics General, England and Wales, 2000, Series DH1 33, Office for National Statistics (0845 601 3034)
Links: Report (pdf) | Press release (pdf)
Date: 2002-Oct
An article compared the effect of using alternative definitions of self-assessed health on the calculation of healthy life expectancy for English health authorities in 1999. Differences between the three measures of HLE were greatest in those authorities with the lowest life expectancy. However, the underlying geographical distribution of HLE was stable across all the measures examined.
Source: Madhavi Bajekal, Susan Purdon, Genevra Woodgate-Jones and Sue Davies, 'Healthy life expectancy at Health Authority level: comparing estimates from the General Household Survey and the Health Survey for England', Health Statistics Quarterly 16, Winter 2002, Office for National Statistics, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Article (pdf)
Date: 2002-Oct
Final data on the number of deaths that occurred in England and Wales during 2001 were published. There were an estimated 24,840 excess deaths during the 2000-01 winter; and 27,300 (provisional estimate) during the 2001-02 winter.
Source: Press release 24.10.02, Office for National Statistics (0845 601 3034)
Links: Press release (pdf)
Date: 2002-Oct
There were 6,989 children born in England and Wales in 2001 who were notified to the National Congenital Anomaly System, compared with 7,284 notifications in 2000.
Source: Congenital Anomaly Statistics, Notifications 2001, Series MB3 16, Office for National Statistics (0845 601 3034)
Links: Report (pdf) | Press release (pdf)
See also: Journal of Social Policy Volume 31/2, Digest 122, paragraph 12.3
Date: 2002-Oct
There were 231 sudden infant deaths in England and Wales in 2001, compared with 245 in 2000, a decrease of 6 per cent.
Source: 'Sudden infant deaths 2001', Health Statistics Quarterly 15, Autumn 2002, Office for National Statistics, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Article (pdf)
See also: Journal of Social Policy Volume 31/2, Digest 122, paragraph 12.4
Date: 2002-Aug
An article presented healthy life expectancy data for 1999 in Great Britain; for males it was 75.1 years at birth, and for females 80.0. (No comparative data for 1998 was available.)
Source: 'Healthy life expectancy in Great Britain, 1999', Health Statistics Quarterly 15, Autumn 2002, Office for National Statistics, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Article (pdf)
See also: Journal of Social Policy Volume 30/2, Digest 118, paragraph 12.4
Date: 2002-Aug
An article gave provisional statistics of live births, stillbirths and infant deaths registered in 2001 in England and Wales, for each health authority and National Health Service regional office.
Source: 'Infant and perinatal mortality 2001: health areas, England and Wales', Health Statistics Quarterly 15, Autumn 2002, Office for National Statistics, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Article (pdf)
See also: Journal of Social Policy Volume 31/3, Digest 123, paragraph 12.3
Date: 2002-Aug
An article gave the numbers of deaths from all causes registered in England and Wales in 2001 by area of usual residence of the deceased. Mortality levels were highest in the North East region, and lowest in the South West.
Source: 'Death registrations in England and Wales, 2001: area of residence', Population Trends 108, Summer 2002, Office for National Statistics, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Article (pdf)
See also: Journal of Social Policy Volume 31/4, Digest 124 (paragraph 12.1)
Date: 2002-Jun
An article examined the feasibility of producing life expectancy estimates for subnational geographical areas of England in the 1990s, revealing inequalities between males and females and also between the north and south.
Source: B. Bissett, 'Healthy life expectancy in England at subnational level', Health Statistics Quarterly 14, Summer 2002, Office for National Statistics, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Article (pdf)
See also: Journal of Social Policy Volume 31/4, Digest 124 (paragraph 12.4)
Date: 2002-May