TEENAGE SOARING
AN urgent inquiry is needed into rapidly rising excess deaths at home, including a sharp increase in the number of teenage boys dying since the start of the pandemic, experts say.
Office for National Statistics figures for England and Wales show over the past 18 months there have been 74,745 excess deaths – those above the five-year average – in private homes. Only 8,759 (12 per cent) involved Covid-19.
The figures from March 7, 2020, to September 17 this year are 37 per cent higher than the 2015-2019 average and the numbers continue to climb.
Last week was the 16th week in a row where the ONS reported extra or “excess” deaths.
The disturbing trend includes 15-to-19-year-old boys.
Deaths in this group rose by 30 per cent from January to October this year compared with the same period in 2020 – from 355 to 462. This is 20 per cent higher than the five-year average, which was 386.
Last night Prof Carl Heneghan, director of Oxford’s Centre for Evidence-based Medicine, called for an urgent inquiry into the circumstances behind the deaths to find out if they could have been prevented.
He said: “More people are dying of non-covid causes and we continue to see a considerable and continuing rise in excess deaths this year not caused by Covid-19, occurring mostly in the home.
“This is extremely concerning. It is urgent we launch a proper inquiry to find out whether these deaths could have been prevented. The death certificates only give a snapshot of what is actually going on.
“We need to go beyond these and look at those deaths which may not have been covered by coroners, to understand the true cause and what can be done to reduce the high number of excess deaths.”
Dr Charles Levinson, CEO of private GP company Doctorcall, who has studied deaths at home throughout the pandemic, said: “Non-covid excess deaths in the home and the surrounding silence is a scandal.
“Millions are still too scared, unwilling or unable to access the
healthcare they need and these staggering numbers are one tragic consequence of that.
“Government scare campaigns have left deep scars, with people of all ages suffering.
“It’s time to talk about the silent crisis happening in homes.”
Dr Renee Hoenderkamp, a private GP who has examined excess mortality data, said: “We
not want people jumping to conclusions but we do want a thorough investigation, and quickly, into the causes because we need to stop it.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Our record investment is helping to tackle the backlog and recover NHS services with an extra £2billion this year, plus £8billion over three years.”
The pressure on the NHS was made stark last night after Roland Sinker, CEO of Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, warned patients could be sent to Birmingham or London for treatment.
At a staff meeting last week he said rising Covid patient numbers had led to 150 beds being closed for infection control, preventing new admisdo sions. The crisis also meant some elective surgeries were postponed.
Saffron Cordery, deputy CEO of NHS Providers, said other English hospital leaders faced “significant pressures” and are “increasingly concerned as we move further into a difficult winter”.