Call For Probe As Number Of Scots Dying In Winter Soars

A leading charity for the elderly last night called for an inquiry into what it called a “shocking” rise in the number of deaths in Scotland last winter.

The difference in the number of deaths between the winter and neighbouring seasons topped 2,750 between December 2006 and March this year. This compares with 1,780 in winter 2005-06, the lowest figure on record.

The figures showed there were 20,382 deaths in Scotland last winter. The same period last year saw 19,651 deaths in Scotland.

The 2006-07 figure compares with 17,526 deaths in the preceding period (August to November) and 17,738 deaths in the following period (April to July).

The increase occurred despite relatively mild weather and low rates of flu. But it did coincide with a low uptake in free flu jabs among people with chronic conditions such as diabetes and asthma.

Registrar General for Scotland Duncan McNiven said the latest figures were in line with levels during the three previous seasons before the record low of 2005-06.

It was just over half the total in 1999-2000, the last time there was a bad outbreak of flu.

He said: “There is no single common cause behind these deaths. Very few are caused by hypothermia. Most of the additional deaths in winter are from respiratory and circulatory diseases such as pneumonia, coronary heart disease and stroke.”

The 2006-07 winter started off with a shortage of flu vaccines, but this was made up with health boards getting 1.1million, 200,000 more than the previous year.

But the uptake among the chronically ill was just 37.8%, against a target of 60%.

The seasonal difference is a comparison between the winter months and the average from the periods before and after winter.

Greater Glasgow and Clyde saw the highest increase with 770 deaths, while Grampian was next at 380. Tayside was the third highest with a figure of 280, while Highland was 180 and Forth Valley 150.

Help the Aged highlighted the increase in deaths among those aged 65 and over by 1,100 to 2,650.

Director Liz Duncan said: “This shocking 76.6% increase shows the extent to which even relatively mild winters affect older people, particularly those aged 75 and over.”

The organisation is calling for an invettigation.

“We don’t just want an inquiry into fuel poverty, we want it to look at pensioners’ incomes, housing, lifestyle, exercise and possibly the efficacy of flu vaccines,” she said.