The number of Covid-19 related deaths by neighbourhood

Figures have been released showing the number of Covid-19 related deaths across all the neighbourhoods in the Rochdale borough.

The data is available for Middle Layer Super Output Areas (MLSOA). An MLSOA is a unit of measurement used in England and Wales used to facilitate the reporting of small area statistics.

Each of the areas listed is marked on the map further down the page which you can search by postcode:

• Littleborough North & Calderbook - 8 deaths
• Littleborough South & Smithy Bridge - 3 deaths
• Littleborough West & Wardle - 4 deaths
• Hurstead & Smallbridge - 6 deaths
• Milnrow West - 9 deaths
• Milnrow East & Newhey - 5 deaths
• Balderstone & Kirkholt - 7 deaths
• Kingsway - 8 deaths
• Wardleworth & Newbold Brow - 4 deaths
• Central Rochdale & Mandale Park - 1 death
• Deeplish - 15 deaths
• Spotland Bridge - 9 deaths
• Hooley Bridge & Norden West - 5 deaths
• Norden East & Bagslate Moor - 11 deaths
• Springfield Park - 5 deaths
• Castleton & Trub - 23 deaths
• North Middleton & Stakehill - 2 deaths
• Middleton East - 11 deaths
• Alkrington - 11 deaths
• Middleton Town & Rhodes - 1 death
• Langley & Woodside - 13 deaths
• Heywood Hopwood & Siddal Moor - 10 deaths
• Heywood Town - 10 deaths
• Heywood Heap Bridge & Darnhill - 11 deaths

According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS), there were 23 deaths in Castleton between March and May this year  – with 70% of these occurring during April. The figure is significantly higher than in the second worst affected neighbourhood, with 15 deaths recorded in Deeplish.

Sara Rowbotham, Rochdale council’s cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said the reasons for Castleton being hit so hard would only be properly understood after an in-depth ‘deep dive’ analysis of the data.

She suggests its ageing population may have been a contributing factor.

“That’s just my sense,” she said. “I often think of Castleton as being a place with much more of an older population.

“I can only think that may be why it was disproportionately impacted by the virus.”

She hopes that more granular, ‘narrowed down’ data now being made available will be helpful in preventing any localised outbreaks of the virus, as lockdown measures are further eased.

The health cabinet member – who is also deputy council leader – urged people to treat the figures with caution.

She added: “I would not want Castleton to become a bit like one one of those places in the plague with a big red cross on the door and everybody had to stay away. 

“You can see how that could be easily misinterpreted. That’s what worries me about very localised data.”

Andrea Fallon, the council’s director of public health said every death in the borough was a tragedy and the authority was working ‘tirelessly’ to reduce the impact of Covid-19 on residents. 

She added: “We are pleased that the number of cases, hospital admissions and deaths continues to fall in our borough.

“Given the various sources of data it is hard to comment on one set in isolation. We continue to review all of the data available to us in order to understand what is taking place across the borough and make sure our services respond to this.”

Nick Statham, Local Democracy Reporter