Biggest annual rise in deaths for almost fifty years

"England and Wales has suffered the biggest annual rise in deaths for almost fifty years, according to new figures which last night prompted warnings of an urgent crisis in care of the elderly."

"Health experts last night called for an urgent investigation after statistics revealed a five per cent increase in mortality rates in just one year."

"Advisors to Public Health England (PHE) warned of a `strong and flashing` warning light, and said trends over the last four years suggest the rise in deaths may now be the highest since World War Two."

T"hey said the elderly were now bearing the brunt of a growing crisis in the NHS and cuts to social care, with women suffering the most."

"The preliminary data from the Office of National Statistics shows that in just one year, there were 5.4 per cent more deaths in England – equating to almost 27,000 extra deaths."

"The year-on-year rise, to a total of 528,340 deaths, is the highest since 1968. There were more deaths last year than any year since 2003. Figures show that numbers of deaths have fallen steadily since the 70s, but that trend began to reverse in 2011..."

"Professor Danny Dorling, from Oxford University, an advisor to PHE on older age life expectancy, said: `When we look at 2015, we are not just looking at one bad year. We have seen excessive mortality - especially among women - since 2012. I suspect the largest factor here is cuts to social services - to meals on wheels, to visits to the elderly`..."

"Health officials said some of the spike in deaths last year might be explained by the failure of the flu vaccine last winter, which worked in just one in three cases."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/12158930/Biggest-annual-rise-in-deaths-for-almost-fifty-years-prompts-warnings-of-crisis-in-elderly-care.html

There is no acknowledgement of the Liverpool Care Pathway or its equivalent still being practiced in hospitals and now in care homes too.

You`d think health officials would have mentioned it - they certainly know about it - rather than making excuses.