• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • News
  • Events
  • Education
  • Podcast
  • Business Directory
  • Interviews
    • Career spotlight
  • Opinion
    • Professional Dilemmas
  • Patient perspective

Pharmacy in Practice

EDX/20/1154
Date of prep: December 2020

Prescribing information and
adverse events reporting

For healthcare professionals only

Scotland excess deaths highest since 1940

26th January 2021 by PIP editor Leave a Comment

 

Excess deaths in Scotland last year were at their highest level since 1940, new figures have revealed.

 

In 2020 there were 6,324 more deaths than compared to the average over the past five years.

 

Excess deaths are thought to be a more accurate representation of the true cost of the pandemic, as they include deaths from other causes such as cancer and Alzheimer’s that are not directly caused by covid-19.

 

The provisional estimate was provided by National Records of Scotland, which said that deaths over 2020 were 11% higher than expected.

 

The last time this was surpassed was during the Second World War in 1940, with the last highest peacetime total being recorded in 1891.

 

Analysis of the figures shows 93% of the people who died with covid-19 had at least one pre-existing condition.

 

The most common were dementia and Alzheimer’s, recorded in 28% of deaths.

 

Age Scotland has previously called for an investigation into rising deaths from the disease, warning they could be linked to cuts to social care.

 

Looking at death rates by income level, National Records of Scotland found people from the most deprived areas were more than twice as likely to die with covid-19.

 

Areas in the West of Scotland have been hardest hit, with Greater Glasgow and Clyde recording the highest death rate of all health boards; 254 per 100,000 people, followed by followed by Lanarkshire with 228 and Ayrshire and Arran on 172.

 

There are also questions about the support in place for people at the end of their lives.

 

Research by healthandcare.scot showed more people died at home than would normally be expected during the pandemic, across a range of non-covid conditions such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, heart disease and stroke.

 

Pete Whitehouse, National Records Scotland Director of Statistical Services, said: “Assessing trends in death registrations is difficult at this time of year due to the impact of registration office closures over the Christmas period and the increased registration activity which occurs in the following weeks.

 

“Our analysis looking at deaths by date of occurrence provides a clearer picture of the trend and shows that deaths began to increase in mid-December and this has continued through the early part of January.

 

“This week’s report provides a provisional estimate of the number of excess deaths for the full year 2020.

 

“Deaths were 11% higher in 2020 than the average of the previous five years, representing the highest level of excess deaths since 1940.”

 

By Henry Anderson

 

This story has been supplied through our partnership with our friends at healthandcare.scot. Click here to head over and have a look if you haven’t already.

 

 

Share this:

  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)

Related

Next article  Spotting the unusual diagnosis in the ill child

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Scotland

About PIP editor

Pharmacy in Practice is a UK pharmacy publication with its roots in Scotland.

Reader Interactions

Begin the discussion right here Cancel reply

Primary Sidebar

Stay connected with us

  • E-mail
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Phone
  • Twitter

Your Pharmacy in Practice Prescription

Categories

Pharmacy in Practice member login

 
 
Forgot Password

Register for our upcoming live Q&A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVNhKJWCGFA

© 2021 · About Pharmacy In Practice · Site mantained by Mike

This site is for healthcare professionals, please confirm you are a healthcare professional to continue.

YES

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
Pharmacy In Practice uses cookies, by continuing to use this site we will assume you are ok with that Find out more.