Excess deaths at highest rate in two years

EXCESS deaths are at their highest level since the second wave of the pandemic almost two years ago, official figures show.

Data from the Office for National Statistics show that 17,381 people died in England and Wales in the week ending Jan 13 2023.

The five-year pre-pandemic average of 14,544 deaths means there were 2,837 excess deaths last week alone.

Experts say a host of factors have likely led to the high levels of excess deaths, including high flu rates, some Covid deaths, record NHS waiting lists for routine operations times, long delays getting an ambulance and admitted to A&E, unmet needs from the pandemic years and the possibility healthcare strikes have added to the growing death burden.

MPS have called for an investigation as Steve Barclay, the Health Secretary, was accused by Andrew Gwynne, Labour’s shadow public health minister, of being “part-man, part-ostrich” and not tackling the issue.

Paul Hunter, professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, told The Daily Telegraph he blamed the excess deaths on Covid, flu, NHS wait times and potentially even strikes.

“There is a good deal of evidence t excess deaths may be because of problems in getting into hospital as an emergency. Some of this rise is due to Covid, as you’d expect. I think a lot of it is probably down to flu as well,” he said.