Since January, some 22,000 more Brits have died at home than would be expected in a normal year. These so-called excess deaths at home had stumped doctors and left GPs calling for an investigation. The causes remain unclear but a study published today offers the first clues to what’s going on.
The study, funded by Marie Curie, found that deaths at home increased sharpest in the most affluent areas during the pandemic. While excess deaths occurred in all groups, in England there were 33 per cent more at-home deaths than pre-pandemic in the least deprived areas. Meanwhile, deaths in the most deprived areas grew just 21 per cent. In Scotland the increases were even starker: 44 per cent in the least deprived and 36 per cent in the poorest areas.
There has always been a gap in where the rich and poor die: wealthy areas are well served by at-home end-of-life care while poorer areas are left with resources focused around hospitals and hospices – with less choice for at-home care.
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