Smoking in pregnancy 

• Oldham has a higher rate of mothers smoking at the time of delivery (9.6%), compared to the England rate of 8.8% (2022/23). 

Births

• In Oldham there has been a decrease in the birth-rate over the past few years, which follows the national trend. However, the reduction in Oldham is less significant due to the demographic make-up. In 2023 there were 2,995 births in Oldham which is lower than the 3,288 in 2018, which equates to a 8.9% drop in births.
  
• Oldham consistently has a higher proportion of babies born with a low birth weight compared to the national rate. This is linked to the higher rates of deprivation. The latest data in Oldham shows 3.5% compared to 2.9% nationally (2022).

Teenage Conceptions

• Oldham's rate of teenage conceptions (age 15-17 years) is consistently higher than the national average. As of 2021, Oldham's rate of teenage conceptions is 20.5 per 1,000 females, higher than the England average of 13.1 per 1,000. 

Breastfeeding

• Oldham has a lower proportion of babies (39.7%) that are partially or totally breastfed 6-8 weeks after birth, lower than the England rate of 49.2% (2021/22).  Whilst the Oldham rate is much lower than the national rate, there are significant variations across the different Wards.  

Infant and Child Mortality

• Oldham’s infant mortality rate has been higher than GM, the North West and England rates consistently for over a decade. Oldham’s most recent rate for 2021-23 was 6.7 per 1,000, making it significantly higher than the national figure of 4.1 per 1,000 live births. 
• There is a similar trend for Child Mortality as in Infant Mortality where Oldham has significantly and consistently higher mortality rates. The current rate for Oldham is 16.8 per 100,000 population compared to 11.2 for England.

Early Years Educational development

• In Oldham the proportion of children that have a "Good Level of Development" is consistently below that of the England average. The most recent data shows that 62.8% of Oldham children achieved a 'good level of development' (GLD) by the end of reception year, lower than the England average of 67.2% (2022/23).

Oral Health

• 39.5% of 5 year old Oldham children have one or more decayed, missing or filled teeth. This is significantly higher than the England average of 23.7% (2021/22). Oldham's rate has been significantly higher than the England rate for all years the programme has been undertaken.

Childhood obesity

• 20.0% of reception aged children are overweight or obese. This is similar to the England  rate of 21.3%.
• 40.1% of year 6 aged children are overweight or obese. This is significantly higher than the England rate of 36.6% (2022/23). 
• In Oldham, the higher prevalence of obesity tends to be in the most deprived areas.

A&E Attendances

• A&E Attendances have been increasing in Oldham, as they have nationally. It should be noted that Oldham has lower rates for all age groups compared to national rates. The latest data 2022/23 shows: (All figures per 1,000) 
• Under 18 years - 460.3 in Oldham vs 467.5 nationally.
• 0 - 4 years - 793.0 in Oldham vs 797.3 nationally.
• Under 1 year - 1106.3 in Oldham vs 1132.3 nationally.

Accidents, Injuries

• The rate of hospital admissions due to injuries (unintentional and deliberate) for 0-14 year olds is significantly higher in Oldham (99.6 per 10,000) compared to England (75.3 per 10,000). However, for the 15-24 year old age group, the rate is significantly lower in Oldham (69.6 per 10,000) compared to England (94.1 per 10,000) (2022/23).

Educational attainment

• In 2024, 54.4% of pupils met the expected standard at Key Stage 2 (end of Primary) in Reading, Writing and Maths, a marginal increase since 2023, but 3.4% higher that 2022. This compares to 58.0% in statistical neighbours, 59.0% NW, and 60.6% National (all 2024 figures provisional). All of these figures represent a substantially lower position compared to those pre-Covid, especially where deprivation is higher. 
• Oldham's average Attainment 8 score at the end of Key Stage 4 is 42.9, lower than the England average of 46.5 (2023). 

Childhood Vaccinations & Immunisations

• 85.2% of 2 year olds have had the one dose vaccination which is higher than the England average of 89.3% (2022/23).

• 68.7% of 12-13 year old females received the HPV vaccine (one dose) compared to 71.3% for England in 2022/23. The impact of Covid-19 appears caused the HPV vaccine uptake to drop in 2021/22 however uptake has started to increase again in 2022/23. 

16-17 NEET

• 8.7% of 16-17 year olds are not in employment, education or training (or status is unknown), higher than the 5.2% in England (2022/23). 

Child & Adolescent Mental Health

• Oldham's rate of 40.0 per 100,000 for hospital admissions (2022/23) for mental health conditions in under 18s is lower than the national average of 80.8 per 100,000.

Young People's Substance Misuse

• Oldham's rate of 21.5 per 100,000 for admissions(2022/23) relating to alcohol specific conditions is higher than the national average of 26.0 per 100,000.

Children's Social Care

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)