Local health is a collection of health indicators presented for small geographical areas.
These indicators are for local authority public health analysts so they can assess and target inequalities in specific areas. Local health enables comparisons between small geographic areas to a larger one, for a single point in time, and is not designed for time trend analysis.
The data covers the following areas:
- middle super output areas (MSOA)
- electoral wards
- local authorities
- England as a whole
The indicators are related to:
- population and demographic factors
- wider determinants of health
- health outcomes
For further technical guidance to geographic areas please go to the Office for National Statistics UK geographies page
For further technical guidance on on we apply statistical methods to small geographic areas please go to the public health methods page in Fingertips. The association of public health observatories (APHO) technical briefing 6 refers to small area geographies.
Contact us
For enquiries or feedback relating to Local health, public health data for small geographic areas pages, email PHA-OHID@dhsc.gov.uk
Recent updates
30th May 2024
2024/2025 update: The delay in updating the data and maps within the Local Health tool is due to a delay in the publication of the Office for National Statistics (ONS) small area population estimates for 2012 to 2020. They are expected in October or November 2024, however as this is a provisional date, it is subject to change.
Many of the indicators within local health use three or five-year pooled data, so although the ONS has published 2021 and 2022 small area population estimates, we need the earlier ones for calculating the indicators. For three-year pooled we need 2020 to 2022, and for five-year pooled we need 2018 to 2022.
The Local Health tool is not designed for trend data, therefore the update period may not be a direct follow on from the data currently shown. We will publish the most up to date data we can, so depending on when we are able to update the tool there may be more recent data available, for example 2022 to 2023 data.
We have also been awaiting the results of the Health and Social Care Statistical Outputs consultation that took place earlier this year. The outcome of this consultation may result in changes to the content and updating schedule for any DHSC public health data tool, of which Local Health is one.
30th May 2024
The local health GIS tool is now available.
24th May 2024:
We are aware of issues with the local health GIS tool not being available and are working on getting this resolved ASAP. All the data that appears in the local health GIS web tool is also available in this Fingertips profile.
December 2023:
National child measurement programme (NCMP) data for the following indicators will be updated with data for the financial year ending 2022 to the financial year ending 2022:
- Reception: prevalence of obesity (including severe obesity)
- Reception: prevalence of overweight (including obesity)
- Year 6: prevalence of obesity (including severe obesity)
- Year 6: prevalence of overweight (including obesity)
Next data and boundary update:
Please note that we have not been able to do a 2023 update to local health as the majority of indicators rely on the small area population estimates produced by the office for national statistics (ONS).
ONS has had a delay in publishing the new small area population estimates and the revised back series we would need to update our indicators.
At the moment ONS is provisionally saying the population estimates will be published in spring 2024, please note this provisional date may alter. Once the estimates are published we will commence an indicator and boundary update as soon as possible.