Number of excess winter deaths – excluding Covid causes – up by almost 20pc

EXCESS WINTER deaths rose by nearly 20 per cent last year compared with the previous winter, new figures show.

The Office for National Statistics ( ONS) said there were an estimated 28,300 excess winter deaths in England and Wales in the winter of 2019/ 20. This was 19.6 per cent higher than the 23,670 in the winter of 2018/ 19, but still lower than the 49,410 recorded in the winter of 2017/ 18.

Excess winter deaths compares the number of deaths during the months of December to March with the average number of deaths in the preceding August to November and the following April to July.

For the winter of 2019/ 20, the ONS said it had excluded deaths where coronavirus was mentioned on the death certificate from the main figures in order to improve the “comparability” with previous years.

The charity, National Energy Action, said around 8,500 of the winter deaths in 2019/ 20 were due to cold homes.

Chief executive Adam Scorer said: “In our last ‘ normal’ winter, 8,500 lives were lost because of cold homes. Low incomes, high energy costs and poor heating and insulation all combined to leave them in conditions which were unfit to help them survive the cold weather.

“This winter that lethal cocktail will be made many times worse by the impact of Covid- 19.” The charity called for three measures to help people in fuel poverty this winter, including “maintaining and strengthening” the Universal Credit uplift, halting enforcement action and finding new ways to help people in debt.

Wales had the highest percentage of extra deaths at 19.2 per cent, with the ONS saying the excess deaths mortality index there was “statistically significantly” higher than the England average of 16.8 per cent.

In comparison, Yorkshire and the Humber’s percentage of extra deaths stood at 15.7 per cent and was “statistically significantly” lower. The lowest region was the North East at 13.8 per cent.