Accidents and Injuries Among Children and Young People

This topic area covers statistics and information relating to accidents and injuries among children and young people in Hull including local strategic need and service provision. Additional information relating to A&E (Emergency Department) attendances and hospital admissions can be found within A&E Attendances and Hospital Admissions Among Children and Young People under Health Factors under Children and Young People. Information on road traffic accidents can be found within Road Traffic Accidents under Health and Wellbeing Influence which includes road traffic accidents among children and young people.

This page contains information from the Office for Health Improvement & Disparities’ Fingertips. Information is taken ‘live’ from the site so uses the latest available data from Fingertips and displays it on this page. As a result, some comments on this page may relate to an earlier period of time until this page is next updated (see review dates at the end of this page).

Summary Infographic

Headlines

• Comprehensive, accurate data relating to all accidents and injuries among children and young people is not available as many accidents and injuries will not need hospital treatment and will be treated in primary and/or Urgent Care Centres. In addition, the availability and accuracy of A&E data is limited. Whilst the hospital admissions data is generally examined, it is recognised that this will not evidence the true impact of all accidents and injuries on children and young people.
• During 2024/25, the rate of hospital admissions caused by unintentional and deliberate injuries in children and young people in Hull was statistically significantly higher than England among children and young people aged 0-14 and 15-24 years, while non-significantly higher among children aged 0-4 years.
• The admission rates caused by unintentional and deliberate injuries had been falling in recent years for those aged 0-4, 0-14 and 15-24 years, and at a slightly faster rate of decrease compared to England. The rate also fell more sharply among those aged 0-14 years due to the COVID-19 pandemic (less so for 15-24 year olds). Whilst the admission rates in Hull have increased since 2020/21, the rates are lower in 2024/25 than they were pre-pandemic in 2019/20.
• During 2024/25, there were 170, 275 and 400 hospital admissions caused by unintentional and deliberate injuries among children and young people aged 0-4, 5-14 and 15-24 years respectively (numbers rounded to nearest five). This represents a considerable decrease from its peak in 2011/12 when there were 326 admissions among 0-4s and 388 admissions among 5-14s, and from its peak in 2010/11 of 899 admissions among young people aged 15-24 years.
• There is significant research and evidence of the association between deprivation and higher rates of hospital admissions in the most deprived areas.

The Population Affected – Why Is It Important?

More than one million children under the age of 15 experience accidents in and around the home every year in the UK which result in attendance at their local A&E.

From the report on Preventing Unintentional Injuries: A Guide for All Staff Working With Children Under Five from the The Office for Health Improvement & Disparities (formerly Public Health England) and the Child Accident Prevention Trust:

• Choking, suffocation and strangulation was the leading cause of accidental death among the under fives with an average of 28 deaths each year in England, and half of children who die are aged under one year. Hospital admissions are very rare.
• Falls are the main cause of injury-related admission for under fives (20,000 per year) with most admissions resulting from falls from furniture although falls from stairs and steps are also significant. Deaths are rare with about five per year. Children under one mostly fall from beds or highchairs, or while being carried.
• Poisoning is the third most common cause of injury-related hospital admission for under fives (4,000 per year) with 70% of admissions from medicines and 20% from household or garden chemicals. Deaths are very rare. Other hazards include carbon monoxide, button batteries (and chemical burns), certain plants and e-cigarette refills.
• Burns and scalds are the fourth highest cause of hospital admission for under fives, and the injuries can be disabling and disfiguring and are expensive to treat. Hot drinks cause the majority of the injuries. Admissions peak at ages 12 to 23 months, but hot bathwater causes the most serious injuries with 21% of admissions from bathwater scalds resulting in hospital stays of more than three days. Burns and scalds also result from hot water on cookers, kettles, radiators and pipes, and hair straighteners.
• Drowning is the second leading cause of injury-related death for under fives with, on average, 13 children dying each year (90% of which are aged 1-4 years). Where the cause is known, 40% of deaths are from drowning in the bath, but drowning can also occur in ponds, paddling pools and swimming pools. Hospital admissions are rare.
• Smoke, fire and flames kill four under fives each year. Smoke kills, but burns can result in very serious injuries requiring long periods of treatment. The main causes of accidental house fire (2014 to 2015) were cooking appliances and the misuse of equipment or appliances, but smoking materials lead to the most deaths. Half of house fires attended by Fire and Rescue Services were homes without a working smoke alarm).
• Seven children aged 0-4 years were killed and 231 seriously injured on the roads in 2014. Seven in ten (69%) of the children injured were pedestrians. Seven in ten children travel in incorrectly fitted car seats.

From Accidents Don’t Have to Happen report published by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents in 2018, the top five causes of hospital admission (2012/13 to 2016/17) were detailed by age of the child. Inanimate forces include striking, being struck or being crushed by an object, and animate forces include striking, being struck or being crushed by a person or injured by an animal.

Top cause of admission	0-4s	5-14s	15-24s
1	Falls	Falls	Falls
2	Inanimate forces	Inanimate forces	Inanimate forces
3	Poisoning	Road accidents	Road accidents
4	Burns or scalds	Animate forces	Animate forces
5	Animate forces	Poisoning	Poisoning

The report also details the top five causes of death (2013-2016) by age of the child. Threats to breathing covers suffocation, strangulation and choking.

Top cause of death	0-4s	5-14s	15-24s
1	Threats to breathing	Road accidents	Road accidents
2	Road accidents	Threats to breathing	Poisoning
3	Drowning	Drowning	Drowning
4	Inanimate forces	Falls	Threats to breathing
5	Fire	Poisoning	Falls

The top five causes differ slightly from those stated within the Preventing Unintentional Injuries report although report similar conclusions related to the different risks related to injury. The slight differences could be because a different time period has been used, different data sources or different definitions have been used related to either injury or the cause of the injury.

From the report on Reducing Unintentional Injuries In and Around the Home Among Children Under Five Years from the The Office for Health Improvement & Disparities (formerly Public Health England), the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents and the Child Accident Prevention Trust, in the UK, accidental injuries are the most common cause of death in children under one year of age. Children under five are most at risk from an injury in the home, with boys more likely to be injured than girls.  Choking, suffocation and strangulation, falls, poisoning, burns and scalds and drowning are the most common accidental injuries among children under five years accounting for 90% of hospital admissions in the under fives. They go on to state that they are a significant cause of preventable death and serious long term harm. There is a strong association between deprivation and unintentional injuries, with children and young people living in the most deprived areas more at risk of been killed or serious injured from an unintentional injury.  For example, children living in the most disadvantaged areas have a 50% higher risk of being burned, scalded or poisoned resulting in primary or secondary care attendance than those in the most advantaged areas.

The Hull Picture

Accidents and Injuries

Comprehensive, accurate data relating to all accidents and injuries among children and young people is not available as many accidents and injuries will not need hospital treatment and will be treated in primary and/or Urgent Care Centres. In addition, the availability and accuracy of A&E data is limited. Whilst the hospital admissions data is generally examined, it is recognised that this will not evidence the true impact of all accidents and injuries on children and young people.

Hospital Admissions Caused by Unintentional and Deliberate Injuries

For 2024/25, the hospital admission rate was in Hull for unintentional and deliberate injuries was statistically significantly higher in Hull compared to England for children aged 0-14 years and young people aged 15-24 years.

The Office for Health Improvement & Disparities’ Fingertips gives the total number of admission rates for unintentional and deliberate injuries to children and young people per 10,000 population.

The rate of admissions in Hull has decreased among those aged 0-4 years. The rate reduced by one-third from 2011/12 when the rate was at its highest at 167.7 admissions per 10,000 population to 2019/20 (to 124.4 per 10,000 population). There was a relatively sharp decrease between 2019/20 and 2020/21 (decreasing by 22%), which is likely to have occurred – at least in part – due to the COVID-19 pandemic. People’s behaviours changed throughout the pandemic which could have influenced the number of accidents and injuries that occurred. Furthermore, people may have been less likely to attend A&E for instance which may have reduced the likelihood of hospital admission. Over the same period of time, the decreases in England and across the region have not been as marked. Between 2020/21 and 2022/23, there was a further sharp reduction in the admission rate in Hull so that the rate in Hull was lower than England, but the admission rate in Hull has increased sharply in 2023/24 before a small reduction in 2024/25. The rate in Hull remains lower than pre-pandemic levels, but in 2024/25 was not statistically significantly different to England.

Among children aged 0-4 years living in Hull, there were 170 hospital admissions caused by unintentional and deliberate injuries in 2024/25 which was almost half the number for 2011/12 when there were 326 admissions (numbers generally are rounded to the nearest five on Fingertips).

Rates also decreased by around one-third among children and young people aged 0-14 years falling from 157.6 to 106.3 per 10,000 population between 2011/12 and 2019/20. There was a sharp decrease between 2019/20 and 2020/21 with the hospital admission rate falling by 35% in Hull. Again, this is likely to have been caused – at least in part – by the COVID-19 pandemic. The rate then increased between 2020/21 and 2023/24 in Hull, before a small decrease in 2024/25, with the rate remaining lower than pre-pandemic levels.

Among children aged 0-14 years living in Hull, there were 445 hospital admissions caused by unintentional and deliberate injuries in 2024/25. The numbers are considerably lower than a decade ago (with a peak of 714 admissions during 2011/12).

Among young people aged 15-24 years, large decreases were seen between 2010/11 and 2014/15, the rate then remained relatively unchanged until 2018/19, after which the rates again decreased although there was a smaller reduction in the rate between 2019/20 and 2020/21 due to the pandemic when compared to younger children. Apart from a blip in 2022/23, the rate has remained relatively unchanged since the pandemic.

In 2024/25, there were 400 hospital admissions caused by unintentional and deliberate injuries among those aged 15-24 years.

With such a large relatively decrease in the admission rate during the COVID-19 pandemic, it might be expected the rates would ‘bounce back’ and increase subsequently, and whilst this has been the case, the current levels remain below pre-pandemic admission rates.

Effect of Deprivation on Hospital Admissions for Accidents and Injuries

Local data were available for 2015/16, and it was found that there was a much higher admission rate among the most deprived fifth compared to least deprived fifth of areas of Hull (35% higher for 0-14s and 23% higher for 0-4s) with significant differences across the wards (admissions of 66 in Avenue and 155 in Newland per 100,000 population for 0-14s). Among young people aged 15-24 years, there were also significant local inequalities (220 versus 107 admissions per 100,000 population for most and least deprived fifths of areas in Hull) and across the wards (admissions of 63 and 279 per 100,000 population in Boothferry and St Andrew’s wards respectively).

Road Traffic Accidents

Information on road traffic accidents can be found within Road Traffic Accidents under Health and Wellbeing Influence which includes road traffic accidents among children and young people.

Strategic Need and Service Provision

The five priorities relating to accidents among under fives given by the Office for Health Improvement & Disparities (formerly Public Health England) are drowning, choking and strangulation, poisoning, burns and scalds, and falls.

Parents and carers of children under the age of five years should be aware of the risks and dangers to young children in the home and whilst travelling, and should be given information, advice, guidance and support to reduce these dangers. These introduced risks and dangers are generally discussed during pregnancy and post-natal period through to early years by staff working across maternity and early years services, who are in a vital position to raise parental awareness and offer advice and guidance through routine and specific contacts across the maternity and early years journey.  Routine contacts including home visits provide ideal opportunities to promote accident prevention measures.

The Hull and East Riding Safe Sleeping Group promotes safe sleeping habits for babies. Other events promoting home safety are the National Play Day event and Christmas Child Safety Campaign. Free resources are also available in the form of a downloadable book looking at accidents and how to avoid them, road safety and children’s car seat safety.

The Humber Children’s Partnership Programme includes a focus on health promotion and prevention and reducing health inequalities through a system-wide approach. The Children’s Community Care (The Ill Child) project includes improving the health literacy of families across the Humber, with parents and staff understanding when and where to access advice and support services in their local community with an emphasis on self-management. The project is also developing the system response in reducing accidental injuries within the most deprived communities.

Hull City Council have also produced some Accident Prevention Videos which cover the prevention of accidents among under fives relating to poisoning, drowning, stairs, hot drinks and other hazards around the home.

Hull also has a dedicated service which focuses on unintentional injuries in children aged 0-5 years of age as well as the promotion of safer sleep practices with children up to 12 months of age.  The service provides specialist training to key professionals working with families as well as direct work with families in Hull, with the sole aim of reducing hospital admissions due to unintentional injuries and raise awareness of safer sleep practices.

Information on strategic need and service provision in relation to road traffic accidents and children and young people can be found within Road Traffic Accidents under Health and Wellbeing Influence.

In relation to unintentional and deliberate injuries and road traffic accidents to children and young people aged 0-24 years, the numbers are relatively small when examining some specific types of causes of injury, and from a statistical point of view this present its own problems when presenting and interpreting the data. For further information, see Small Numbers in the Glossary.

Resources

The Office for Health Improvement & Disparities’ Fingertips: https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/

UK Government. Preventing injuries in the under 5s: https://www.gov.uk

NICE. Unintentional injuries – prevention strategies for under 15s: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ph29

Royal Society for the Protection of Accidents: www.rospa.com

NHS: www.nhs.uk

Unintentional injuries prevention in children under 5 years. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/unintentional-injuries-prevention-in-children-under-5-years

Reducing Unintentional Injuries In and Around the Home Among Children Under Five Years. The Office for Health Improvement & Disparities (formerly Public Health England), the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents and the Child Accident Prevention Trust. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/696646/Unintentional_injuries_under_fives_in_home.pdf#:~:text=Unintentional%20injuries%20in%20and%20around%20home%20are%20a,of%20the%20children%20aged%201%20to%204%20yearsb.

Child Accident Prevention Trust. https://www.capt.org.uk

Hull City Council. Accident Prevention Videos. https://www.hull.gov.uk/family-support/accident-prevention-fives

Updates

This page was last updated / checked on 8 October 2026.

This page is due to be updated / checked in June 2027.