Winter deaths in Scotland at highest level in 18 years

Scottish winter forecast [credit: BBC]

Whatever the causes may be, an excess of mild weather and/or low heating bills can safely be ruled out.

The number of people who died in Scotland last winter hit a 18-year high, new statistics have revealed.

There were 23,137 deaths between December 2017 and March 2018, according to the National Records of Scotland – the highest figure since 1999/2000, reports BBC News.

It also revealed that the seasonal increase in mortality – the number of “additional” deaths in winter – was significantly higher than in 2016/17.

The main underlying causes of the deaths were influenza and pneumonia.

Last winter saw the highest rates of flu-like illness in Scotland for seven years, according to the Scottish government.

In January Nicola Sturgeon said Scotland’s health service was facing “exceptional” pressures as the number of flu cases were double the previous year.

Many patients had to wait longer for treatment but the first minister said at the time that hard-working staff were ensuring that the NHS was “coping well”.

The government said it was providing a new flu vaccine to protect the over 75s this year, and investing an extra £10m to support winter resilience planning.

Why did more people die last winter?
The NRS report found that the total number of deaths in 2017/18 increased by 10.5% on the previous winter, when 20,946 deaths were recorded.

Last winter’s death total was the largest number since 23,379 deaths were recorded in 1999/2000.

Anne Slater, the chief executive of the National Records of Scotland (NRS), said there was a long-term downward trend of winter deaths since the early 1950s.

“However, the average value for the latest five years (which smoothes out much of the year-to-year fluctuation) is now above the level that had applied since the early 2000s,” she said.

“It is too soon to say whether there has been a change in the long-term trend: it could just be a short-term rise, like that seen roughly 20 years ago, after which the average fell for several years.”

Continued here.