Data and release highlights
Healthy life expectancy, UK: between 2011 to 2013 and 2022 to 2024
On 19 February, the ONS published the number of years people are expected to spend in “good” general health in the United Kingdom, its constituent countries and local authority areas.
Despite modest increases in life expectancy since 2019 to 2021, healthy life expectancy (HLE) at birth in the UK, for both males and females, has decreased to its lowest level since the time series began in 2011 to 2013.
Ongoing trends such as persistent regional differences remain evident, whilst the gap between the healthiest and least healthy areas has widened further.
Quarterly suicide death registrations in England
On 4 February, the ONS published provisional quarterly suicide death registrations figures.
The release includes 2001 to 2024 registrations and provisional data for Quarter 1 (Jan to Mar) to Quarter 3 (July to Sept) 2025. These are official statistics in development.
Life expectancy by sexual orientation, England and Wales
On 3 February, the ONS released research linking Census 2021 data with death registrations, to estimate life expectancy by sexual orientation in England and Wales for the first time.
The findings show that adults identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual and other sexual orientations had slightly lower life expectancy at age 20 than those identifying as straight or heterosexual, with consistent patterns across groups.
Welsh Government releases on health and care in Wales
This release shows the number of patients admitted to mental health facilities both formally and informally. It also provides information about patients who are subject to supervised community treatment, for April 2022 to March 2025.
This report details quarterly statistics on the number of staff, sickness absence and number of vacancies in the Welsh NHS.
This report summarises data on activity and performance in the Welsh NHS.
This release provides data including breastfeeding status at birth, 10 days, six to eight weeks, and six months, by local health board.
This release details data on referrals and waiting times for Local Primary Mental Health Support Services.
This release provides quarterly data on the number of Section 135 and 136 detentions in Wales by age, gender, ethnicity, place of safety and outcome of assessment.
The Healthy Child Wales Programme is a universal health programme for all families with children aged 0 to 7. This release details programme contact completion rate, October 2016 to September 2025.
This report gives monthly data on ophthalmology outpatients who were waiting within their target date or within 25% beyond their target date at the end of December 2025.
Things to note
Notification on publication of Children receiving care and support Census (CRCS) data from the Welsh Government
CRCS data for 2024 has been delayed. To avoid further delays to social services outputs, Welsh Government proposes publishing 2023–24 data alongside 2024–25 data in a combined release in summer 2026. While not ideal, this approach is intended to reset delivery and improve timeliness and value of statistics going forward, supported by additional analytical resource. Users with queries or concerns can contact the team at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Coherence of weekly deaths statistics in the UK – Government Analysis Function
Weekly deaths statistics are an important tool for monitoring public health and informing public policy.
Coherence of weekly deaths statistics in the UK looks at how weekly mortality data are produced across the four UK nations. The content reviews similarities and differences in data processing and reporting between the ONS, National Records of Scotland (NRS) and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA), including registration deadlines, certification processes, and bank holidays.
This article explains how these variations affect comparability and UK-level aggregation. This work was produced by the UKHSSG mortality theme group, which brings together relevant statistical producers from across the UK to improve the coherence and accessibility of mortality statistics.
Unpaid carers data sharing learning event - 12 March 2026 – 2.00pm to 4.00pm
During 2025, Partners in Care and Health (PCH) undertook work with two local systems, Derby and Derbyshire in East Midlands and Wirral in the North West region, to explore and improve the sharing of data in relation to unpaid carers.
Join the Local Government Association to hear from colleagues in PCH and the two systems involved about their experience. You can hear what they learned about the barriers to sharing data about unpaid carers across health and care systems and how to overcome them. Carers will speak about how they contributed to the work and colleagues from carers organisations, councils and health partners will share information about on their action planning and next steps since the work was done.
Visit the Local Government Association website to see more information and book a place at this event.
Update on prioritisation of ONS statistics
On Thursday 19 February, the ONS confirmed the next steps in streamlining its portfolio, reducing its publications and focusing on delivering high quality economic and social statistics.
The ONS has worked with a range of organisations across key areas to ensure its statistics are focused where they deliver most value, and where the organisation is uniquely placed to deliver. While these are difficult decisions, they are necessary over the immediate period to enable delivery of its mission of trustworthy, independent, high-quality statistics, given available resource.
Full details are set out in a published letter from Darren Tierney, ONS Permanent Secretary, to interim chair of the UK Statistics Authority, Penny Young. A supporting blog has also been published from Darren.
The ONS is grateful to users for their continued engagement as it builds its approach of working in the open, including providing regular updates on the delivery of the improvements.
If you have any questions, please contactThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Transforming the content, look and navigation of the ONS website – Coming in 2026
In July, the ONS gave an update on its plans to transform its website, and shared the associated preview site. The team are excited to share that work is underway on the new ONS website, designed to make it easier for you to access and use the data and statistics. You will start to see changes to the look and feel of the ONS website from summer 2026.
To help shape plans, they are keen to engage with users of its data and statistics. Your insights are invaluable in creating a website that works for everyone.
If you would like to volunteer to take part in a user research session, please register your interest on the ONS user research recruitment form.
Continue the conversation with StatsUserNetwork
StatsUserNetwork is the Government Statistical Service discussion forum for users and producers of official statistics.
It is organised by statistically themed groups, including a dedicated health and social care group, enabling collaboration and knowledge-sharing with colleagues working in the same statistical area. Joining additional groups allows you to exchange insights with colleagues in different statistical areas who may be working on similar methodologies or analysis.
StatsUserNetwork has a dedicated facility to highlight events and provides the opportunity to carry on a conversation afterwards. Whether a question that you forgot to ask at a conference, or clarification on a particular point in a presentation, simply add it as a comment on the original event post.
To help you get the best out of the forum, there are regular “Introducing StatsUserNetwork” events. Just sign up on Eventbrite.
For more information, contact the team on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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