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

153,008 deaths out of 672,015 - or 22.8 per cent - were avoidable, according to analysis from the Office for National Statistics

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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 per cent – were avoidable, the highest rate since 2010.

Of the avoidable deaths in 2020, 68.6 per cent were attributed to conditions considered preventable, while 31.4 per cent 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.

Scotland had the highest avoidable age-standardised mortality rate (ASMR), with 52.1 deaths per 100,000 people. This was statistically significantly higher than the rates for the other two countries.

In comparison, England had the lowest rate, with 24.0 alcohol and drug-related deaths per 100,000 people.

Across the three countries, 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.

Scotland also had the highest avoidable mortality rate for cancers in 2020, with 98.0 deaths per 100,000 people. Again, this was significantly higher than the other two countries. England had 77.8 deaths per 100,000, while Wales had 86.6 per 100,000.

For local authorities, Blackpool had the highest male preventable mortality rate (355.8 deaths per 100,000). This was 3.2 times higher than Hart, which had the lowest rate. Blackpool’s rate was statistically significantly higher than 98.0 per cent of other local authorities.

Middlesbrough had the highest female rate, with 205.4 deaths per 100,000. This was statistically significantly higher than 96.4 per cent of other local authorities. This was also 3.9 times higher than Mid Sussex, which had the lowest rate.

The ONS said that UK and Northern Ireland data will be released at a later date pending the outcome of the current review of suicide statistics in NI, as these deaths form part of the definition of avoidable mortality. The review will conclude in Spring 2022.