FOI reference: FOI-2026-3491
You asked
How many babies died or were damaged in labour and birth in UK hospitals?
In particular I wanted the rates of Scunthorpe general hospitals in last 30 years.
And the national averages of babies deaths or severe brain damage same period.
Also do you have records of how many Sheehan syndrome cases have been diagnosed in the UK in 30 years?
We said
Thank you for your request.
We are responsible for the production of mortality statistics for England and Wales. National Records Scotland (NRS) and Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) are responsible for statistics pertaining to Scotland and Northern Ireland. They can be contacted at foi@nrscotland.gov.uk and info@nisra.gov.uk respectively.
We do not hold information on babies who have survived complications in delivery or data on diagnosis. NHSE England, Public Health Wales, Public Health Scotland and the Northern Ireland Department for Health may be able to assist you. They can be contacted on england.contactus@nhs.net, phw.foi@wales.nhs.uk, Public Health Scotland - Contact Form and enquiries@health-ni.gov.uk respectively.
In England and Wales, stillbirths and neonatal deaths are registered using a special death certificate introduced in 1986 (Annex D), which enables reporting of relevant diseases or conditions in both the infant and the mother (see Section 11.3 of the User Guide to Mortality Statistics for more detail). Equal weighting is given to main conditions recorded in the infant and in the mother, so it is no longer possible to identify a single underlying cause of death for neonatal deaths and stillbirths.
We developed a hierarchical classification system producing broad cause groups to enable direct comparison between neonatal and post neonatal deaths. This classification is referred to as the ONS cause groups, and allows the death to be assigned to a specific category, based on the likely timing of the damage leading to the death.
Stillbirths and neonatal deaths involving complications during labour are included in classification group 4 (Asphyxia, anoxia or trauma (intrapartum)). Figures for deaths occurring between 2008 and 2023 are presented in our Child and Infant Mortality publication. We do not hold information on neonatal deaths due to damage during labour prior to 2001 when the hierarchal classification was introduced.
If you wish to obtain figures for deaths occurring between 2001 and 2007 due to classification group 4 (Asphyxia, anoxia or trauma (intrapartum)), we could create this for you via our bespoke services. Such services are subject to legal frameworks, disclosure control, resources and agreements of cost, in line with our Charing Policy. If you are interested in requesting a bespoke dataset, subject to disclosure control, please contact Health.Data@ons.gov.uk, and they will be able to advise accordingly.
The figures you have requested for deaths of infants due to brain damage or Sheehan syndrome are highly likely to be disclosive, as we anticipate there will be small numbers due to the variables requested. The bespoke team can explore if this information, or something similar with a higher aggregation if required, can also be provided via our bespoke services. Please contact Health.Data@ons.gov.uk to discuss this further.
Unfortunately, we are unable to provide figures for specific Scunthorpe hospitals, as these are corporate bodies. Section 39 of the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 (SRSA) renders it a criminal offence to disclose personal information held by the Statistics Board (ONS) for statistical purposes that would identify an individual or a body corporate. As we are prohibited by law from publishing statistics in which individuals can be identified, Section 44(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) applies.
However, NHS England produce a publication showing deaths by NHS Trust showing the number of deaths due to pregnancy-related conditions. This can be found on their website: Summary Hospital-level Mortality Indicator -- Deaths associated with hospitalisation. You may wish to contact them to see if they hold a further breakdown of the information you have requested, as they are not bound by the same laws that we are.