By . Sophie Borland . PUBLISHED: . 19:12 EST, 25 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:13 EST, 25 July 2013 . Since early 2012, there have been 23,400 more deaths than would have been expected in England and Wales. Posed by model . Health officials are investigating a sudden rise in death rates in the elderly, particularly among women. Around 600 more people – mainly elderly – have died every week so far this year compared with the average for the last five years, official figures show. Since early 2012 there have been 23,400 more deaths than would have been expected in England and Wales. Officials from Public Health England – the new body responsible for monitoring disease – is investigating whether it is due to a particularly aggressive form of new viruses. But other experts believe it may be down to cuts to council care budgets, longer waits in A&E or even the elderly feeling they are a ‘burden’ to society during times of austerity. A report by Public Health England – obtained by Health Service Journal – states that 2013 is on course to be ‘noticeably worse than any recent year’. In recent years, the weekly death rate encompassing all ages groups has been an average of 10,000. However, the numbers of women over 85 who died in 2012 was 5 per cent higher than the average while in men it rose by 3 per cent. Until last year, death rates had been steadily declining due to an overall increase in life expectancy thanks to better standards of living and healthcare. In the first week of July this year, there were about 4,200 deaths in the over 85s, compared with 3,600 for the same weeks in 2010 and 2011. Professor Danny Dorling, who specialises in human geography at Sheffield University, said: ‘Elevated mortality amongst the elderly is often about people dying two or five years earlier than would be expected given recent rates. Often they are people who are quite ill to begin with. Some experts believe the figures may be down to cuts to council care budgets, longer waits in A&E or even the elderly feeling they are a 'burden' to society during times of austerity. Posed by models . ‘It is possible that cuts or freezes to services have a particular bad effect on this group – even cuts and freezes that might appear very minor – because the group is so vulnerable. ‘Increased anxiety resulting from knowing you might have to move home or even have no home has long been known to be very damaging for the health of very elderly people. Officials from Public Health England - the new body responsible for monitoring disease - is investigating whether it is due to a particularly aggressive form of new viruses . ‘The timing of this recent rise in mortality coincides with the crisis in the funding of a large number of care homes. 'It is worth thinking who gets left a little longer in A&E than they were left when there was funding growing year on year. ‘Who is most neglected when the carer visiting them has only 15 minutes when they used to have 30?’ Professor John Ashton, president of the Faculty of Public Health, said that the figures could not be explained as a statistical blip. ‘This is a bell going off that’s saying “There’s something going on here and we need to know something about it”. ‘Is this about the fact that, with people having been living longer and longer, there’s been an accumulation of frail elderly people whose time has finally come? There’s a bit of that. ‘Another potential explanation in part is about antibiotic use and resistance. This is a generation that has had access to antibiotics for decades and maybe they are building up resistance. 'It will no doubt raise questions about access to clinical care among the frail elderly and whether it’s not as good as it was.’ A spokesman for Public Health England said: ‘The number of deaths during 2012-13 was high, especially amongst those aged 85 years and older. 'We are undertaking further work to understand why there was a rise in mortality rates during the earlier months of this year and the causes behind this.'
Since early 2012 there have been 23,400 more deaths than would have been expected in England and Wales .
Concern it may be due to aggressive form of new viruses .
By . Sophie Borland . PUBLISHED: . 19:12 EST, 25 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:13 EST, 25 July 2013 . Since early 2012, there have been 23,400 more deaths than would have been expected in England and Wales. Posed by model . Health officials are investigating a sudden rise in death rates in the elderly, particularly among women. Around 600 more people – mainly elderly – have died every week so far this year compared with the average for the last five years, official figures show. Since early 2012 there have been 23,400 more deaths than would have been expected in England and Wales. Officials from Public Health England – the new body responsible for monitoring disease – is investigating whether it is due to a particularly aggressive form of new viruses. But other experts believe it may be down to cuts to council care budgets, longer waits in A&E or even the elderly feeling they are a ‘burden’ to society during times of austerity. A report by Public Health England – obtained by Health Service Journal – states that 2013 is on course to be ‘noticeably worse than any recent year’. In recent years, the weekly death rate encompassing all ages groups has been an average of 10,000. However, the numbers of women over 85 who died in 2012 was 5 per cent higher than the average while in men it rose by 3 per cent. Until last year, death rates had been steadily declining due to an overall increase in life expectancy thanks to better standards of living and healthcare. In the first week of July this year, there were about 4,200 deaths in the over 85s, compared with 3,600 for the same weeks in 2010 and 2011. Professor Danny Dorling, who specialises in human geography at Sheffield University, said: ‘Elevated mortality amongst the elderly is often about people dying two or five years earlier than would be expected given recent rates. Often they are people who are quite ill to begin with. Some experts believe the figures may be down to cuts to council care budgets, longer waits in A&E or even the elderly feeling they are a 'burden' to society during times of austerity. Posed by models . ‘It is possible that cuts or freezes to services have a particular bad effect on this group – even cuts and freezes that might appear very minor – because the group is so vulnerable. ‘Increased anxiety resulting from knowing you might have to move home or even have no home has long been known to be very damaging for the health of very elderly people. Officials from Public Health England - the new body responsible for monitoring disease - is investigating whether it is due to a particularly aggressive form of new viruses . ‘The timing of this recent rise in mortality coincides with the crisis in the funding of a large number of care homes. 'It is worth thinking who gets left a little longer in A&E than they were left when there was funding growing year on year. ‘Who is most neglected when the carer visiting them has only 15 minutes when they used to have 30?’ Professor John Ashton, president of the Faculty of Public Health, said that the figures could not be explained as a statistical blip. ‘This is a bell going off that’s saying “There’s something going on here and we need to know something about it”. ‘Is this about the fact that, with people having been living longer and longer, there’s been an accumulation of frail elderly people whose time has finally come? There’s a bit of that. ‘Another potential explanation in part is about antibiotic use and resistance. This is a generation that has had access to antibiotics for decades and maybe they are building up resistance. 'It will no doubt raise questions about access to clinical care among the frail elderly and whether it’s not as good as it was.’ A spokesman for Public Health England said: ‘The number of deaths during 2012-13 was high, especially amongst those aged 85 years and older. 'We are undertaking further work to understand why there was a rise in mortality rates during the earlier months of this year and the causes behind this.'
2013 . Since early 2012, there have been 23,400 more deaths than would have been expected in have been 23,400 more deaths than would have been expected in England and Wales. Officials from aggressive form of new viruses . ‘The timing of