FOI Ref: FOI/2022/3516
You asked
Please supply the number of deaths from flu virus on each date in winter 2017/8 or, if that information can't be retrieved, the dates in that period on which more than 300 died from that virus.
Please take 1 December 2017 to 23 March 2018 inclusive as the requested date range.
We said
Thank you for enquiry.
Unfortunately, we do not hold analysis of numbers of deaths from flu for the time period 1 December 2017 to 23 March 2018 specifically, however we can create a bespoke table for you.
Bespoke tabulations of mortality data for England and Wales, are available to order, subject to legal frameworks, disclosure control, resources and agreements of costs, where appropriate. Such enquiries would fall outside of the Freedom of Information regime and should be made to: Health.Data@ons.gov.uk.
We have the following publications available that might be of interest to you:
Excess Winter Mortality, England and Wales
The number of excess winter deaths (EWD) is a statistical measure of the increase in mortality during winter months (December to March) compared with non-winter months (the preceding August to November and following April to July). The excess winter mortality index (EWMI) is calculated as the number of excess winter deaths (EWD) divided by the average non-winter deaths, expressed as a percentage.
Please see our latest annual Excess winter mortality in England and Wales publication. Table 6 includes figures for influenza and pneumonia combined, England and Wales, 2019/2020. Data for earlier years are available here.
Leading causes of death by month, England, 2015 to 2019
We have produced a bespoke tabulation showing numbers of deaths by leading cause groupings and month of occurrence, England, 2015 to 2019 and 5-year average. This table includes monthly figures for influenza and pneumonia combined, as that is the grouping used in our leading cause framework. You can access the table here.
Annual flu deaths, England and Wales
Annual numbers of deaths where influenza was the underlying cause can be obtained via NOMIS for England and Wales, 2013 to 2020. All of the conditions mentioned on the death certificate are coded by ONS using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). Influenza can be identified using ICD-10 codes J09-J11. You can also find this information in our Deaths Registered Series.
Weekly deaths by cause, England and Wales
We publish provisional numbers of weekly deaths from influenza and pneumonia combined in our latest weekly deaths publication. You can find this information in Table 3. Data for earlier years are available here.
If you wish to discuss this further, please contact health.data@ons.gov.uk.