The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked top reply.
Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 11 December 2007:
The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many people (a) under 16 years of age and (b) 16 years and over died from rheumatoid arthritis in each year since 1997, broken down by Government Office Region. I am replying in her absence. (172912)
The attached table provides (a) the number of deaths from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis in children under 16 and (b) rheumatoid arthritis in persons aged 16 and over, broken down by English Government Office Region from 1997 to 2006 (the latest year available).
Deaths (persons) 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 North East Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (under 16 years) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Rheumatoid arthritis (16 years and over) 49 43 30 32 58 58 53 37 55 41 All rheumatoid arthritis 49 43 30 32 58 58 53 38 55 41 North West Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (under 16 years) 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 Rheumatoid arthritis (16 years and over) 106 112 95 75 127 98 114 115 104 98 All rheumatoid arthritis 106 112 95 75 127 98 115 116 104 98 Yorkshire and The Humber Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (under 16 years) 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 Rheumatoid arthritis (16 years and over) 68 73 63 59 88 107 92 83 70 84 All rheumatoid arthritis 68 73 63 59 89 107 92 83 70 84 East Midlands Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (under 16 years) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Rheumatoid arthritis (16 years and over) 68 60 55 50 74 57 70 59 86 87 AH rheumatoid arthritis 68 60 55 50 74 57 70 59 86 87 West Midlands Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (under 16 years) 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Rheumatoid arthritis (16 years and over) 90 81 76 84 109 114 113 85 92 95 All rheumatoid arthritis 90 81 77 84 109 114 113 85 92 95 East of England Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (under 16 years) 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Rheumatoid arthritis (16 years and over) 72 83 70 81 99 112 101 85 67 78 All rheumatoid arthritis 72 83 70 81 99 112 102 85 67 78 London Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (under 16 years) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Rheumatoid arthritis (16 years and over) 65 56 66 43 82 76 58 58 53 33 All rheumatoid arthritis 65 56 66 43 82 76 58 58 53 33 South East Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (under 16 years) 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Rheumatoid arthritis (16 years and over) 114 117 105 115 148 149 135 124 136 97 All rheumatoid arthritis 114 118 105 115 148 149 135 124 136 97 South West Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (under 16 years) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Rheumatoid arthritis (16 years and over) 101 89 86 90 132 103 108 93 107 81 All rheumatoid arthritis 101 89 86 90 132 103 108 93 107 81 1 Cause of death for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes 714.0-714.9 and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes M05.0-M06.9, M080.0, M08.2, M08.3 and M08.9, where there was any mention of these codes on the death certificate, and the person was aged under 16 years. Cause of death for rheumatoid arthritis (16 years and over) was defined using ICD-9 codes 714.0-714.9 and ICD-10 codes M05.0-M06.9, M08.0, M08.2, M08.3 and M08.9, where this was recorded as the underlying cause of death, and the person was aged 16 years or over. The introduction of ICD-10 in 2001 means that the numbers of deaths from this cause before 2001 are not completely comparable with later years. 2 Based on parliamentary constituency and local authority boundaries as of 2007. 3 figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.