23,000 extra care home residents die in five months with 12,500 linked to coronavirus, new figures reveal

Home care deaths jump 170 per cent compared to three-year average

There has been a sharp rise in the number of social care deaths during the coronavirus outbreak (iStock)

New data shows the number of care home residents who have died in England and Wales in the past five months is more than 23,000 higher than last year, with 12,526 linked to coronavirus.

The Office for National Statistics said a total of 73,180 care home resident deaths occurred between 28 December and 1 May. This is 23,136 more deaths than the same period in 2019.

The new analysis, published today, also shows the number of people who died receiving care in their own homes.

Care regulator the Care Quality Commission said that between 10 April and 8 May 2020 there were 3,161 deaths of people receiving care in their own home in England, compared with a three-year average of just 1,171, a 170 per cent increase.

Of the 3,161 deaths, only 593 involved Covid-19 compared with 43 per cent of care home deaths linked to the virus for the same period.

The Care Inspectorate Wales does not hold information on deaths for home care residents.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, between 2 March and 1 May, the ONS said there had been 45,899 deaths of care home residents, with Covid-19 linked to 27 per cent.

The ONS has said it is carrying out work to understand what is causing the other increased or excess deaths.

At the beginning of the pandemic, more deaths involving Covid-19 among care home residents happened in hospitals. But the number of deaths in care homes has overtaken deaths in hospital since the beginning of April.

Almost three-quarters of deaths occurred in care homes, with 27 per cent – 3,444 deaths – occurring in a hospital.

Of all the deaths in hospital from 2 March where coronavirus was involved, 15 per cent were care home residents.

Among men in care homes, Covid-19 was the leading cause of death, accounting for almost a third of all deaths between 2 March and 1 May. Among women, Covid-19 was the second leading cause after dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, with 24 per cent of deaths.

Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease was the most common pre-existing condition among Covid-19 deaths and involved in more than two-fifths of all deaths of care home residents where coronavirus was involved.

The worst hit region with the higher number of Covid-19 care home resident deaths was the southeast of England with 2,109 deaths. London had the highest proportion of deaths, with 26 per cent of care home resident deaths involving Covid-19.

Southwest England had the lowest proportion at 13 per cent, while Wales had the lowest number, 532, compared with all English regions.