Coronavirus: England had highest number of excess deaths in Europe during pandemic, official data shows

Virus reached all corners of UK compared to more well-contained outbreaks in other countries

England suffered the highest number of excess deaths during the coronavirus pandemic out of any country in Europe, the Office for National Statistics has said.

In new data published on Thursday the ONS said the length of England's outbreak and the fact it had one of the highest peak deaths of any country combined resulted "in England having the highest levels of excess mortality in Europe for the period as a whole".

The statistics authority said England's outbreak was also notably more broadly spread across the country than in other European nations, where outbreaks were contained in concentrated areas.

Excess mortality is a measure of how many more people than usual died during a given period. The ONS says that this is the "best way of comparing the mortality impact internationally".

This is because it "avoids the problem of different countries recording COVID-19 deaths in different ways, and also takes into account the indirect impact of the pandemic, such as deaths from other causes that might be related to delayed access to healthcare", the authority says.

Internationally, only Spain had a higher peak than England, but the shorter length of its outbreak means that England was worst hit overall.

The UK was notably slower than most of its neighbours to impose lockdown-style measures, and also slow to bring a proper test and trace system online after scaling back testing early in the pandemic. The government was also advising against mask use by the public until at least April before changing its advice, in contrast with many other countries.

The UK still has the highest number of daily deaths attributed to Covid-19 in Europe and was one of the last to list lockdown measures – over a month behind many neighbours. Government advisors have suggested than an earlier decision to go into lockdown could have halved the death toll in the UK.

In contrast to other countries, the new ONS statistics show that Covid-19 was prevalent throughout the UK, with every local authority area reporting excess deaths during the peak of infections.

Birmingham had the worst peak of any major British city with 249.7 per cent excess mortality in the weak ending 17 April, while Brent was the worst hit local authority areas as whole with 357.5 per cent.

"What we've seen in Italy and Spain, which were the other countries really heavily affected by Covid-19, was that they had a very localised pandemic. So the impact in the regions of northern Italy and central Spain were much higher than anything we've seen in the UK - but in the UK it was much wider spread. So we saw excess deaths from Cornwall to Shetland and everywhere in between," Ben Humberstone of the ONS told the BBC.

He added: "Although the UK at the peak of the pandemic didn't see the highest peak of deaths, the pandemic and its effects did last slightly longer in the UK which pushed up that total number of deaths."

Dr Veena Raleigh, Senior Fellow at The King’s Fund, said: "This comprehensive ONS analysis shows that excess mortality to date resulting from the coronavirus pandemic has been highest in England compared to other European countries.

"Whilst some other European nations experienced sharper peaks in excess deaths, the rates in the UK have taken longer to come down. Moreover, we know that the pandemic has had an unequal impact, taking the greatest toll of lives among older people, more deprived populations and ethnic minority communities - thereby exposing yet again the wide and widening health divide in our population.

"Over the past decade, life expectancy improvements in the UK have lagged behind our European peers. With the worst coronavirus death toll in Europe, there is a very real risk that the UK will slide even further down the life expectancy league tables. The priority for the UK is to control the pandemic and learn lessons ahead of a potential second wave, but it is also essential to tackle the underlying reasons for stalling life expectancy in recent years – many of which contribute to poor Covid-19 outcomes. This requires increased effort in prevention and public health, action to tackle the underlying socio-economic inequalities driving much of the preventable ill health, and a cross-government strategy to reduce health inequalities."

The ONS study also looked at different nations within the UK and found that England fared the worst, followed by Scotland, then Wales and Northern Ireland.

The statistics cover the first half of 2020, from January until June. The gap between the UK and other countries could be starker once later months are taken into account as the UK has continued to suffer a higher recorded death rate throughout July while others have seen their tail off – though excess deaths are now below normal in the UK.

The government this week began to point the finger at Britain's neighbours, with Matt Hancock on Thursday saying a "second wave" was "rolling across Europe" and could hit the UK.

Jonathan Ashworth, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, said the prime minister should "take responsibility" for the worse death toll.

“The official confirmation today that England has had the highest level of excess deaths in Europe is a devastating moment," he said.

“Every life lost is a tragedy and leaves behind grieving families. We can no longer hide from the fact the Government has not handled this crisis well and needs to urgently learn lessons from its mistakes.

“Boris Johnson must now take responsibility for why we were so badly prepared. As we start to see a resurgence in other parts of the world, ministers need to urgently outline the steps they are taking to better protect people and save lives in the months ahead.”

Liberal Democrat Health spokesperson Munira Wilson said: "The unforgiving consequences of the pandemic have left too many families mourning loved ones. It didn't need to be like this.

"It is clear the Government has made mistakes. With a possible second wave occurring in countries across Europe at the moment, the Prime Minister must launch an independent inquiry immediately.

"This is not a time for protecting political interests. This is a time to learn from mistakes and protect the country from more heartache.

A Government spokesperson said: “Every death from this disease is a tragedy and our sympathies are with all those who have lost loved ones.

“This is an unprecedented global pandemic and our understanding of its impact on different countries and societies will improve as we learn more. Today’s report from ONS shows us where the highest peaks were across Europe when factors like age and gender are taken into account. However, this is a novel virus and we are still working to fully understand all the factors driving this pandemic.

“At all stages we have been guided by the latest scientific advice, and the action we have taken has allowed us to protect the vulnerable and ensure the NHS was not overwhelmed, even at the virus’ peak.”