Nearly quarter of all deaths in 2020 considered avoidable, says ONS

Nearly a quarter of all deaths in Great Britain were considered avoidable in 2020, according to new analysis.

The Office for National Statistics said 153,008 deaths out of 672,015 – or 22.8% – were avoidable, the highest rate since 2010.

Of the avoidable deaths in 2020, 68.6% were attributed to conditions considered preventable, while 31.4% were attributed to treatable conditions, the ONS said. Coronavirus has been assigned as a preventable cause in the avoidable mortality definition.

Wales had the highest avoidable mortality for deaths due to Covid-19, with 36.1 deaths per 100,000 people. Scotland had the lowest rate with, 28.5 deaths per 100,000 people, and England had 34.9 deaths per 100,000 people.

Avoidable mortality rates increased for alcohol-related and drug-related deaths in 2020 in all countries, the ONS analysis showed.

Across England, Scotland and Wales, the increase in ASMRs for alcohol-related and drug-related conditions in 2020 was driven by alcoholic liver disease, and poisoning by, and exposure to, other and unspecified drugs, medicaments and biological substances, the ONS said.

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Source: The Independent, 7 March 2022