950,000 unexpectedly bereaved during pandemic, figures suggest

JUST under a million people in the UK have experienced an unexpected bereavement over the course of the coronavirus pandemic, analysis suggests.

The Covid-19 outbreak has led to deaths from unexpected causes more than tripling, according to estimates from the charity bereavement service Sudden, which launched in July 2020 in response to the pandemic.

Deaths involving coronavirus and other unexpected causes accounted for one in four deaths in the year since March 2020, with unexpected deaths making up just eight per cent before the pandemic.

There have been 190,000 sudden deaths in the year to March 2021, Sudden estimates, up from 50,000 before the pandemic. This is based on deaths where coronavirus was mentioned on the death certificate, as reported by the Office for National Statistics, and an estimated number of unexpected deaths occurring in a typical prepandemic year.

These include deaths from Covid-19, but also those due to accidents, murder, suicide or conditions such as a brain haemorrhage. Previous research suggests that for every death, five people are seriously bereaved, which would suggest that 950,000 have been unexpectedly bereaved in the last year.

Seventeen charities, faith groups, academics and health professionals have launched a bereavement charter following the pandemic.

The Sudden Bereavement Charter says people affected should have a right to support from bereavement specialists, NHS mental health care, time off work, specialist legal help and financial support, if needed.