Second spike of 'excess deaths' in Doncaster revealed to health bosses

Graphs shown to the Doncaster NHS Clinical Commissioning Group today show the total number of deaths in the borough in that month reached the 330 mark.

Under normal circumstances, the number would have expected to be less than 250, according to experts, and most of those excess deaths were attributed to the coronavirus.

The figures for October were the most recent available on the graph shown to the CCG’s board of governors meeting.

It was the second peak of excess deaths, following from a previous spike in April, when around 420 deaths were recorded, compared to an expected 250. May was also above the expected number, 320 compared to 260, as was June, with 260 compared to 230. Numbers had fallen below average from them until September.

Joanne Forrestall, senior strategy and delivery manager at NHS Doncaster Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “There has been quite a lot of talk of excess deaths, about people not attending appointments and around cancer diagnosis. We are trying to monitor to see if there is anything we need to do.

"April showed the biggest spike.”

She said the figures were being reviewed on a regular basis.

October was the month Doncaster was initially placed into tier two restrictions, after cases of Covid 19 began to rise again after having been relaxed across the country over the summer, and then into the tougher tier three restrictions later in the month, before the second full lockdown last month.

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