Doncaster coronavirus deaths may be missed in official figures

Shadow social care minister Liz Kendall has called on the Government to publish daily figures of Covid-19 deaths outside hospital settings, including in care homes, to understand "the true scale of the problem."

Office for National statistics data shows that in Doncaster, 26 deaths involving Covid-19 were provisionally registered up to April 10.

ONS figures include all mentions of Covid-19 on a death certificate, including suspected Covid-19, as well as deaths in the community.

The main government figures however have so far been based almost entirely on the deaths of hospital patients who tested positive for the virus. This means at least two Covid-19-related deaths in Doncaster would have been excluded from official estimates up to April 10 – equating to 8% of the total figure from the ONS.

The number of people who died of coronavirus in Doncaster's hospitals up to April 10 was 24, according to the ONS.

Across England and Wales, there were 1,662 deaths involving Covid-19 registered in the week up to April 10 which occurred outside hospitals, and 8,673 (84%) in hospitals.

The overall number of deaths in care home across the two countries doubled from 2,471 to 4,974, between the point the first Covid-19 deaths were registered and the week ending April 10.

Ms Kendall MP said: "This shows the terrible toll that coronavirus is having on elderly and disabled people in care homes.

"Yet these awful figures are only scratching the surface of the emerging crisis in social care, because they are already out of date.

"The Government must publish daily figures of Covid-19 deaths outside hospital, including in care homes, so we know the true scale of the problem.

"This is essential to tackling the spread of the virus, ensuring social care has the resources it needs and getting vital PPE and testing to care workers on the frontline."

Health Secretary Matt Hancock promised to address the coronavirus pandemic's impact on care homes as England's chief medical officer admitted there would likely be a "high mortality rate" in the facilities during the coronavirus crisis.