Analysis |Excess deaths reach highest level since pandemic peak – how much are NHS failings to blame? – By Daniel Dunford (Sky News) / Jan 5, 2023
30,000 more people have died in the past six months than were expected to, and many more are dying at home. Are NHS delays the problem? Or is it the long tail of the COVID pandemic? Sky News breaks down the numbers and how they compare to what’s happening in other countries.
Almost 2,500 more people died in the week to 23 December than expected, 20% more than the five-year average for the same period, new figures from the ONS reveal.
It’s the highest number of additional deaths in a week since February 2021, during the pandemic’s most deadly period.
There have been over 30,000 more deaths than expected in the past six months alone, equivalent to 1,155 a week.
Even excluding the 8,000 deaths caused by COVID in that period, there are an average of 848 more people dying every week than the average from 2016-19 and 2021 (excluding the pandemic-affected 2020).
