LGA responds to latest ONS figures on excess deaths

Responding to the latest ONS figures on excess deaths not involving coronavirus, Cllr Ian Hudspeth, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said:

“These figures act as a truly tragic reminder of how many people, including those who are older and vulnerable, have lost their lives during this terrible pandemic, leaving behind family and friends in mourning.

“Social care, including care homes and providing care in people’s homes, remains the frontline in the fight against coronavirus.

“The recent week-on-week decline in the number of care home deaths attributable to COVID-19 is positive, but worryingly the total number of excess deaths in care homes is still higher than average, which means those who are older and most vulnerable continue to be at risk.

“This tragic rise in the number of deaths not attributed to COVID-19 in these settings could be because of some people not going to hospital, due to concerns about overwhelming the NHS, as well as wanting to avoid contracting the virus in hospital.

“Councils are doing all they can to protect those in care homes, as well as those receiving care in their own homes. Every council in England has prepared plans on how to support all care homes in their areas to control and prevent future infection outbreaks, working alongside the NHS locally and with Public Health England.

“These plans, alongside greater information sharing with councils on where outbreaks are happening more widely as part of the test and trace programme, will help in our shared national effort to finally defeat this disease.”

Notes to editors

The ONS figures show that from the week ending 13 March to the week ending 1 May, almost 11,000 more deaths were registered in care homes than in the corresponding period in the weekly average, an increase of 60.5 per cent.

Over 8,000 more deaths were also registered in private homes in this period, an increase of 42.6 per cent.