Nearly a quarter of deaths ‘potentially avoidable’, says ONS

Nearly a quarter of all deaths in England in Wales in 2014 were from causes considered ‘potentially avoidable’, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The figures are based on the revised definition of ‘avoidable mortality’ developed in 2015, and show that 116,489 out of 501,424 deaths (23 per cent) could have potentially been avoided through timely and effective healthcare or pubic health interventions.

The main cause of avoidable deaths were cancers and non-cancerous abnormal tissue growths (neoplasms), which accounted for 35 per cent of all avoidable deaths.

32 per cent of all deaths of children and young people aged 0-19 were from avoidable causes, with accidental injury being the most common cause of death (14 per cent).

Anne Campbell, Mortality Analysis Team, Office for National Statistics, said: “People who die prematurely from avoidable causes lose an average of 23 potential years of life. For children and young people, this figure rises to 72 years. The biggest contributors to avoidable deaths are chronic illnesses such as cancer and heart disease. In contrast, accidental injuries and complications surrounding childbirth are the biggest killers of children and young people.”