Most dangerous time of the year for elderly in Coventry

THE weather is getting colder and nights are longer making life seem more tough for all of us.

And figures show winter months are perilous for our elderly friends and relatives with around 15 per cent more people dying at this time of year than in the summer.

Experts say it is a “dangerous time” for elderly people, leading to persistent pressure on the NHS which has been seen in recent years in the form of the now-annual winter crisis.

Every year, more people die in winter than in summer due to colder temperatures, respiratory diseases and outbreaks of flu.

To measure the impact, the Office of National Statistics compares the number of additional deaths between December and March to the rest of the year.

During the winter of 201617, the latest period figures are available, there were approximately 140 excess winter deaths in Coventry.

This meant 15 per cent more people died during winter in Coventry, compared with the yearly average.

This was lower than in the previous year when there were 22 per cent more deaths during winter.

According to the ONS, small population sizes can cause a significant amount of yearon-year variation at a local level.

Across the West Midlands, winter was most deadly for people aged 85 and older.

Out of 3,610 excess winter deaths in the West Midlands, 3,350 were older than 65, and 1,970 older than 85.

Dr Nick Scriven, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said that the data raised concerns “as to why there is such variation even between areas in a single region”. He said: “This data must act as a prompt to those in power to look at these trends and recognise that the capacity of the health service is being stretched beyond all measures in winter. We have an older, frailer population with increasingly complex medical problems, a lack of funding across health and social care to meet demand, a recruitment crisis and persistently poor performance.”

Health think tank, the King’s Fund, said it was concerned that this “could be the start of a trend of periodically high winter deaths”.

The Department of Health and Social Care said that the 2017-18 figures “were likely the result of a combination of flu and cold weather”.

A spokesman said: “We know flu is difficult to predict - that’s why this year we have a stronger vaccine for over-65s.”