SINePost newsletter - April 2016

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In this issue ...

Teenage Pregnancy
Child Health Profile 2016
Health and Life Expectancies
Personal Independence Payment statistics
Digital Exclusion
School Population Forecast
Monthly Business Bulletin
Revised Claimant Count figures
Local Alcohol Profile (LAPE) update
Car Driving Statistics
What's New on the Somerset Intelligence website?
Forthcoming Statistical Releases

1. Teenage Pregnancy

Conception rates in women aged 15-17 declined for the seventh successive year in Somerset in 2014 according to figures published by the Office for National Statistics, mirroring national downward trends: www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/conceptionandfertilityrates

There were 169 conceptions in 2014, representing a rate of 17.2 conceptions per 1,000 women in this age group. Rates were highest in Sedgemoor (23.4 per 1,000) and lowest in Mendip (11.4 per 1,000). Overall, numbers of Under 18s conceptions in Somerset have halved since 2008.

Just over a half of conceptions to women aged 15-17 in Somerset in 2014 led to abortion.

2. Child Health Profile 2016

The latest annual child health profile from Public Health England presents a generally positive picture for Somerset, with the county performing in line with, or significantly better than, national benchmarks for the majority child health and well-being indicators.

Indicators where Somerset is worse than the national average are mostly within the ‘prevention of ill health’ theme, with the county performing significantly worse for: A&E attendances for infants; hospital admissions caused by injuries; and hospital admissions as a result of self-harm. Most of the indicators are based on 2014/15 data. See: www.chimat.org.uk/profiles/static

At the same time, PHE has published local authority summaries on young people’s health behaviours, based on 2014’s ‘What About YOUth?’ survey. Health behaviours of Somerset young people appear broadly similar to the national picture. Exceptions relate to levels of bullying and smoking. See: www.chimat.org.uk/youngpeople/behaviours/southw

3. Health and Life Expectancies

Males in Somerset can expect to spend a higher proportion of their lives in good health and free from disability compared to females, according to latest Healthy Life Expectancy (HLE) and Disability Free Life Expectancy (DFLE) figures. HLE estimates lifetime spent in good health, while DFLE estimates lifetime free from limiting persistent illness or disability.

Based on 2012-14 mortality and health status rates:

Somerset males at birth may expect to live on average for 80.6 years, with 65.4 of these years spent disability-free. Females may expect to live longer (84.3 years); however, less of their lifespan (62.7 years) would be spent free from disability.
Males may expect to spend a higher proportion of their lives in “Good” health, compared with females (83.0% and 76.9% respectively).

See: www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/healthandlifeexpectancies

4. Personal Independence Payments statistics

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claims in payment in Somerset increased to 4,202 in January 2016 according to the latest set of figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP): https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/

Numbers of claimants are currently increasing at a rate of around 200 per month, as PIP replaces Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for people aged 16 to 64 with a long-term health condition or disability. Latest DLA figures indicate a total of 24,080 existing claimants in Somerset (as at August 2015).

5. Digital Exclusion

Communities located throughout Somerset are at risk of digital exclusion according to analysis conducted on behalf of the Somerset Intelligence Partnership. Nationally, around one in five of the population is estimated to lack the basic digital skills and capabilities required to realise the benefits of the internet.

A Somerset ‘heat map’ considers the local picture, based on five suggested risk indicators (older age, low income, disability, low adult skills, and poor broadband speed). Findings suggest digital exclusion is an issue in both urban and rural areas, with West Somerset at particularly high risk. See: http://www.somersetintelligence.org.uk/digital-inclusion/

It is intended that that the map and local understanding of digital exclusion will be further developed through additional data and research.

6. School Population Forecast

Numbers of school pupils in Somerset are forecast to rise each year up to at least 2020, according to the latest annual Somerset School Population Forecast. Key points include:

notable increases by 2020 in primary school numbers on roll in larger urban areas - Bridgwater (up 397), Taunton (up 282) and Yeovil (up 319);
increases in secondary school pupil numbers from 2016, as a ‘bulge’ in numbers coming through the primary sector works its way into the secondary sector;
an increase in the number of pupils in Somerset’s special schools.

See: https://slp.somerset.org.uk/ipost/iPostDocuments/SchoolPopulationForecast2015Part1.pdf

7. Monthly Business Bulletin

The total number of businesses in Somerset was unchanged in February 2016 compared to January according to the latest Monthly Business Bulletin: www.somersetintelligence.org.uk/monthly-business-bulletin-feb-2016.pdf

There were 31,169 businesses in Somerset in February, an increase of nearly one thousand on the number of businesses in March 2015. Production and Manufacturing continues to be the biggest industry sector (3,503 businesses), followed by Wholesale and Retail (3,432 businesses).

8. Revised Claimant Count figures

The Office for National Statistics has published revised claimant count figures going back to May 2013, as a result of improved estimates of out-of-work Universal Credit claimants from the Department for Work and Pensions: www.nomisweb.co.uk/articles/943.aspx

According to the latest figures, Somerset’s claimant count increased for the fourth successive month in February 2016, to 3,565, representing 1.1% of the local adult population (and mirroring a national upward trend). The Bridgwater wards of Westover and Fairfax continue to see the highest numbers of out-of-work claimants in Somerset.

9. Local Alcohol Profile (LAPE) update

Public Health England has updated its Local Alcohol Profiles for England (LAPE) interactive tool, presenting data for 20 alcohol-related indicators for every local authority area: http://fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile/local-alcohol-profiles

The latest update includes the addition of 2014 data for the mortality indicators (for which Somerset has one of the lowest rates in the South West region).

The update also includes, for the first time, an indicator on alcohol-related road traffic accidents, based on reported accidents in which a least one driver failed a breath test. At a rate of 26.2 per 1,000 accidents, Somerset is in line with the national average.

10. Car Driving Test statistics

There were a total of 5,889 driving test passes in Somerset in 2014/15, at test centres in Taunton and Yeovil, according to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). This represents an overall pass rate of 54.5%, with the success rate marginally higher at the Yeovil centre.

Around 6 in 10 tests in 2014/15 were first attempts. Pass rates at the first attempt were 56.7% for males and 50.8% for females (nationally the figures were 51.1% and 44.1% respectively).

See: www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/car-driving-test-data-by-test-centre