Deaths not attributable to the coronavirus are soaring, according to National Health Service (NHS) data, causing concern in the islands.
As reported by The Telegraph, the number of deaths is 14.4% higher than the average for the last five years. According to the NHS itself, most of them are for heart conditions, strokes or diabetes that went undiagnosed or untreated in a timely manner due to confinement.
Dr. Charmaine Griffiths, chief executive of the British Heart Foundation, expressed her dismay at the increase in deaths from heart disease:
We’re deeply concerned by the initial findings that excess deaths in recent months seem to be being driven by cardiovascular disease.
Postponements and delays could be causing 1,000 more deaths each week, according to the British Office for National Statistics (ONS). Since June, there are an estimated 10,000 more deaths not linked to coronavirus than in the same period of the past 5 years.
Delay in treatment
The chief executive of the British Stroke Association, Juliet Bouvier, was also concerned:
This lack of opportunity to identify risk factors for stroke is a recipe for increased stroke mortality and disability in those that survive.
For his part, Dr. Charles Levinson, CEO of the private GP service Doctorcall, said, "Hundreds and hundreds of people dying every week...what is going on? Delays in seeking and receiving healthcare are no doubt the driving force, in my view." He added that his company was seeing “far too many” cases of undetected cancers and cardiac problems, as well as “disturbing” numbers of mental health conditions.
In 2020 and 2021 the NHS turned its attention to combating the pandemic, resulting in a long delay in other treatments. Now, the British health service is trying to reduce the delay, as the number of patients waiting more than 12 hours for emergency care has multiplied.
