Covid-19: High level of non-covid deaths may reflect health system pressures

Excess deaths were higher than deaths involving covid-19 in the week leading up to Christmas, the first time this has occurred during the second wave of the pandemic, show the latest provisional figures. Experts said that this may reflect the pressure on care pathways for patients with non-covid conditions.

The number of deaths in the week ending 25 December 2020 was 11 520, which was 3566 higher than the five year average for that week, show the Office of National Statistics data for England and Wales.1 The 2912 registered deaths involving covid-19 (and 2497 as the cause of death) were roughly similar to the numbers in preceding weeks.

The ONS urged caution in interpreting the figures. Excess deaths were likely to be overestimated because only one bank holiday occurred that week, …