More dire excess death figures in care homes. Using ONS data, by my calculation excess deaths in care homes are up 218% in week 18 compared to the five year average. That’s down from 282% last week. But still 6409 deaths in care homes in a week, 4390 more than we would expect. 
To take a longer time period: the last five weeks have seen care homes deaths at 285% of the five year average. To put numbers on that roughly we’d expect 10685 deaths in care homes in that five week period in England and Wales. Instead the figure is 30,332
To put it another way 7.3% of England & Wales’ care home population has died in a home in last 5 weeks.
We’d normally expect that figure to be 2.5%.
Of course it’s possible some of top number would normally have died in hospital.
Which begs the question, why aren’t they now?
We’d normally expect that figure to be 2.5%.
Of course it’s possible some of top number would normally have died in hospital.
Which begs the question, why aren’t they now?
We’re also seeing deaths at home remain stubbornly high. For week 18 they’re up 88%. That’s down from 112% the week before.
Remember hospital excess deaths are now only (!) up 38%. In terms of where greatest % excess deaths are happening it’s at home and in care homes.
Remember hospital excess deaths are now only (!) up 38%. In terms of where greatest % excess deaths are happening it’s at home and in care homes.
Again, this is all the context in which hospital capacity must be viewed.
