Recent data has revealed that the first quarter of the year saw the mortality rate in England reach its highest point since 2009.
The figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that between January to March 2018, the number of deaths registered in England reached 153,717, more than any figure recorded during the same time frame over the past five years.
Recorded at 1,187 deaths per 100,000 people, the rise in the rate of mortality was described as “statistically significant”, having grown by 5% compared to the same period during 2017. The ONS also noted that this was the highest rate since 2009.
The report attributed the uplift in deaths during the period to a combination of uncharacteristically cold weather as influenza.
Whilst it’s predicted that the total number of deaths is expected to rise – given the pace at which the population is rising – the ONS said that when controlling for changes in the size and age structure of the population, over the quarter, there were 10,771 more deaths than expected.
The rise follows a general fall in mortality rates, observed between 2001 and 2014 – 2018 is the second consecutive year which has seen rates of mortality during the first quarter of the year increase.
