13,000 unexpected deaths may be down to hospitals’ virus priority

NEARLY 13,000 more people than expected have died in England and Wales since mid-march from causes other than coronavirus, amid fears that lack of medical care is responsible.

Data compiled by The Daily Telegraph show more than 23,000 excess deaths since March 13 in care homes or at home which are not linked to Covid-19. Over the same period, hospital deaths fell by more than 10,000 as many dying patients were sent back to the community to free up beds.

However, even after allowing for those who would ordinarily have died in hospital, it still leaves some 12,818 deaths unaccounted for and statisticians at both Oxford and Cambridge say that figure is now sufficiently worrying for an inquiry to be launched.

A Cambridge professor, Sir David

Spiegelhalter, said: “There’s a huge spike in non-covid deaths at home very quickly into the epidemic, close to the time when hospitals started minimising their normal service.”

Figures show there are now 46,383 deaths registered with Covid-19 across the UK, including suspected cases, but it is feared that the true death toll from the pandemic may be closer to 60,000 when excess deaths caused by the lockdown are factored in.

The families of two residents among 10 to die at the Home Farm care home on Skye – investigated by the Scottish care regulator – told The Telegraph they first found the virus had taken hold when a staff member’s mother said on Facebook her son had tested positive.

HC-ONE, the home’s owner, said families were told about the positive test as soon as had been possible.

Figures also show the UK epicentre has shifted from London to the North West, which lately had the highest proportion of Covid deaths, at 31.1 per cent.