Latest editorial
DEATHS in care homes as a result of Covid-19 should be reported daily rather than in weekly announcements, Labour said today after data showed a large increase.
Numbers of hospital deaths linked to the coronavirus are issued daily, while deaths in care homes are recorded every week and are made public nearly a fortnight later.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS), which collates deaths that occur in community and home settings, published data yesterday showing that there were 1,662 such deaths up to April 10, a five-fold increase on the 217 deaths recorded for the previous week.
With more people dying each year and many spending their final days in institutions, researchers argue that wider access to palliative care could offer a more humane and cost-effective alternative, write ROX MIDDLETON, LIAM SHAW and MIRIAM GAUNTLETT
