‘AVOIDABLE’ DEATHS ARE ON THE RISE
ARISING number of people in Wales are dying from avoidable causes. An increase in deaths from alcohol and drug-related disorders, cancer and the advent of the coronavirus pandemic have been blamed for driving the highest avoidable mortality rate in Great Britain since 2010.
In Wales, 24,271 deaths were considered avoidable in the three-year period from 2018 to 2020, the highest number since 2003-05. That means 22 people per day died from an avoidable death over those three years.
The rate of avoidable death is much higher in Wales than it is across the border in England, with 271 of these deaths for every 100,000 people. That compares to an average across England of 235 deaths per 100,000 people.
The rate is highest in Blaenau Gwent, at 337 avoidable deaths for every 100,000 residents, and lowest in Monmouthshire, at 181 per 100,000 people.
Across Wales, men were far more likely to die from an avoidable death (333 per 100,000) than women (212 per 100,000). A death is counted as “avoidable” if it could have been prevented by effective and timely healthcare, better public health policies, or a combination of both.
Avoidable deaths can include those from various types of cancer, heart disease, alcohol, drugs and childbirth complications – as well as accidents, suicides and murders.
Some of those deaths are classed as “preventable” – those related to risk factors such as behaviour and lifestyle choices, socioeconomic status and environmental factors.
In 2020, preventable deaths included deaths from Covid-19.
There were 15,540 preventable deaths recorded across Wales in the three years up to 2020.
A further 8,731 deaths were classed as “treatable”, which means they could have been avoided through timely and effective healthcare.
Rates of both preventable and treatable deaths were higher in Wales than they were in England.
Dr Penelope Toff, chair of the British Medical Association public health medicine committee, said: “It is deeply concerning that the number of people dying from preventable causes has risen so much in the last 12 years.
“Public health grants for next year are due to be 24% lower per person in
England than they were in 2015-16. This reduction in funding has led to vital facilities – such as smoking cessation clinics and mental health services – being stripped back or shut entirely. Restoring public health funding to at least previous levels will also be a vital step in reducing the number of deaths from preventable causes, and the Government must make this a priority in its plans for NHS recovery.”
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures, 23% of all deaths in Great Britain in 2020 were avoidable – 153,008 of 672,015 deaths.
More than two-thirds of avoidable deaths were caused by conditions considered to be preventable, including Covid-19. In 2020, for every 100,000 of the population in England there were around 35 deaths attributable to coronavirus, compared to around 36 in Wales and 29 in Scotland.
But there was also a rise in the rate of alcohol and drug-related deaths, and cancer continues to be a big driver of avoidable deaths.
Men and women were most likely to die of an avoidable death in Blackpool, while men in Rutland in the East Midlands were least likely to die from an avoidable death, and the rate for women was lowest in Eden in Cumbria.
A Department for Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Mortality rates are affected by several factors, and understandably Covid-19 has contributed significantly to the latest figures.
“We are taking action to address the main causes of preventable death rates, including alcohol, drugs, smoking and obesity. We are also committed to improving life expectancy and breaking the link between people’s backgrounds and their prospects for a healthy life.”