Statistics that cover internal migration within the UK, local authority, health authority and Government Office Regions in England and Wales. Data from former health authority patient registers and the National Health Service Central Register are used to give internal migration estimates.
Publications
Finalised data for all births, deaths, marriages, civil partnerships and divorces along with population data for the year in question.
Presents data on Internal migration, by Local Authority and Government Office Regions in England and Wales.
Internal migration estimates for countries within the UK and, within England, Government Office Regions (GORs) of England and the rest of the UK.
Overview
Migration within the UK , England and WalesInternal Migration estimates are produced by the ONS with the aim of accurately measuring movement within the United Kingdom. These estimates, along with births, deaths and international migration, form the key components of the annual population estimates produced by the ONS. Estimates showing interregional moves within the UK, and moves between health authorities are released quarterly on a rolling year basis. Data for March of the year are released in December of the same year. Data for June, September and December of the year are released in March, June and September of the following year respectively. Estimates showing moves between local authorities within England and Wales are released annually. These estimates are released in August and relate to migration to the middle of the previous year. They provide the most detailed picture of internal migration that the ONS releases, and are integrated to the mid year population estimates, utilised by a wide range of users within local and central government, as well as a multitude of users outside the government. |
Technical Data
Internal migration estimates are based on a combination of the NHSCR (National Health Service Central Register) and the PRDS (Patient Register Data System). NHSCR-based figures are published quarterly and PRDS-based figures are published annually.
Estimates for NHSCR internal migration movements are based on the movement of NHS doctors’ patients between former health authority areas in England and Wales and Area Health Boards (AHBs) in Scotland and Northern Ireland. These transfers are recorded at the NHS Central Registers, Southport and Edinburgh, and at the Central Services Agency, Belfast. The figures have been adjusted to take account of differences in cross-border flows between England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland recorded in each country.
To get a picture of movements between local authorities, the NHSCR figures are combined with the more detailed Patient Register Data System. Comparing records in one year with those of the previous year by linking based on NHS number enables identification of people who change their postcode.
A migrant on the PRDS is defined as a person who, between one year and the next, changes their area of residence and hence postcode. The download is taken at 31 July each year to enable migration estimates to be made for the year ending 30 June each year. This is consistent with the assumption that people delay registering with a new GP for a month after they move.
The NHSCR is required as a partner to the patient registers because there would be limitations in using migration estimates derived solely from comparing patient registers in two consecutive years. This is because patient registers cannot capture the movement of those migrants whom, for one reason or another, were not registered with a doctor in one of the two years, but who moved during the year.
The largest group of these is migrant babies aged less than one year, who would not be on a register at the start of the year. Other people, who are not on the register at the start of the year but who move after joining the NHS and before the end of the year, would not be captured.
Such people could include those leaving the Armed Forces or international in-migrants. Similarly, people who move within the year but are not on a register at the end of the year would also not be captured. Such people would include anyone who moved and then, before the end of the year, either died or enlisted in the Armed Forces or left the country.
Glossary
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NHSCR
National Health Service Central Register, this captures all registrations with GPs and provides the Office for National Statistics with a weekly file containing a list of health authority to health authority moves.
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PRDS
Patient Register Data System, provides the Office for National Statistics with an annual snapshot of all NHS GP lists, from which a comparison is made to identify movers based on NHS number matching and postcode comparisons.
Contact Details
For statistical enquiries about this topic, please contact:
Oliver Dormon
Email: Migstatsunit@ons.gsi.gov.uk
Telephone: +44 (0) 13 2944 4647
