Skip to main content
The Actuary: The magazine of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries - return to the homepage Logo of The Actuary website
  • Search
  • Visit The Actuary Magazine on Facebook
  • Visit The Actuary Magazine on LinkedIn
  • Visit @TheActuaryMag on Twitter
Visit the website of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries Logo of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries

Main navigation

  • News
  • Features
    • General Features
    • Interviews
    • Students
    • Opinion
  • Topics
  • Knowledge
    • Business Skills
    • Careers
    • Events
    • Predictions by The Actuary
    • Whitepapers
  • Jobs
  • IFoA
    • CEO Comment
    • IFoA News
    • People & Social News
    • President Comment
  • Archive

Topics

  • Data Science
  • Investment
  • Risk & ERM
  • Pensions
  • Environment
  • Soft skills
  • General Insurance
  • Regulation Standards
  • Health care
  • Technology
  • Reinsurance
  • Global
  • Life insurance
Quick links:
  • Home
  • News

Deaths in England and Wales hit 20-year high

Open-access content 21st April 2020
Authors
CHRIS SEEKINGS

This month saw the highest weekly total of deaths recorded in England and Wales since the first seven days of 2000, figures released today by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveal. 

©iStock.jpeg

The provisional data shows that there were 18,516 deaths in the week ending 10 April 2020, which was 2,129 more than in the previous week, and 7,996 more than the five-year average.

Of these, 6,213 people were found to have died with COVID-19 symptoms, up from 3,475 the previous week, representing approximately one-third of all deaths.

The number of deaths from other causes also increased, perhaps suggesting that lockdown measures are having an adverse impact on health.

Moreover, separate ONS data shows that total COVID-19 deaths had hit 13,121 by 10 April, compared with the 9,288 recorded by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

This could be due to the different way coronavirus deaths are recorded, with some media outlets suggesting that the UK's true death toll could be 40% higher than reported by the government.

“ONS and DHSC COVID-19 death numbers have different criteria,” the ONS said. “The DHSC count deaths where a person has been tested positive for coronavirus, and for England this is in hospitals only. 

“The ONS counts deaths where COVID-19 (including suspected cases) was mentioned on the death certificate, regardless of location.”

Of the total coronavirus deaths registered up to 10 April 2020, the ONS said that 83.9% occurred in hospital, with the remainder taking place in care homes, private homes and hospices.

A comparison of different data sources for COVID-19 deaths up to 10 April is shown below:

 

ons
Source: ONS

 

COVID-19 deaths recorded by NHS England, which come from the same source as DHSC but are continuously updated, show 2,256 fewer deaths registered by 10 April than the ONS figures.

Meanwhile, the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries' Continuous Mortality Investigation has published its analysis of today's ONS figures.

Image credit | iStock

This shows that the cumulative mortality improvement for 2020 is –2.7% as of 10 April, compared to +0.1% as of 20 March, with 77% more deaths registered in week 15 of 2020 than during the same week of 2019.

“Numbers produced by the ONS take longer to prepare, because they have to be certified by a doctor, registered and processed,” the ONS said. “But once ready, they are the most accurate and complete information.”

Filed in:
News
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linked in
  • Mail
  • Print

Latest Jobs

GI Model development contractor

£700 - £1000 per day
Reference
119012

Pricing Actuary - Marine, Credit, Aviation

London (Central)
Total package circa £230K
Reference
119011

Capital Modelling Actuary

London, England
£70000 - £100000 per annum
Reference
119010
See all jobs »
 
 
 
 

Sign up to our newsletter

News, jobs and updates

Sign up

Subscribe to The Actuary

Receive the print edition straight to your door

Subscribe
Spread-iPad-slantB-june.png
​
FOLLOW US
The Actuary on LinkedIn
@TheActuaryMag on Twitter
Facebook: The Actuary Magazine
CONTACT US
The Actuary
Tel: (+44) 020 7880 6200
​

IFoA

About IFoA
Become an actuary
IFoA Events
About membership

Information

Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions
Cookie Policy
Think Green

Get in touch

Contact us
Advertise with us
Subscribe to The Actuary Magazine
Contribute

The Actuary Jobs

Actuarial job search
Pensions jobs
General insurance jobs
Solvency II jobs

© 2020 The Actuary. The Actuary is published on behalf of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries by Redactive Publishing Limited, Level 5, 78 Chamber Street, London, E1 8BL. Tel: 020 7880 6200