Covid lockdown cost exposed: FIFTY THOUSAND excess deaths recorded last year

The true cost of Covid lockdown has been exposed after analysis of the number of excess deaths across the UK last year.

In 2022 there were fifty thousand more deaths than would ordinarily be expected.

Excess deaths, or extra deaths, are the number of deaths that are above the five-year average for the specific period.

The NHS has largely been blamed for the number of deaths with the ongoing crisis limiting the number of patients it can care for.

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The figures compiled by The Times indicate the UK saw one of its worst years on record for excess deaths, only beaten by 1951.

Excess deaths in England and Wales jumped sharply at the end of 2022, with a mixture of flu, cold weather and access to emergency care likely to have contributed to a spike in mortality.

Figures show that there were over excess 1,600 deaths in the week leading up to Christmas.

The number of registered deaths was 20 per cent above average in the week ending December 30 and 21 per cent above average in the week to December 23, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Covid deaths accounted for a small number of the deaths.

Total deaths in England and Wales were above average in 2020 and 2021, but in both years Covid-19 was the main cause.

This morning Steve Barclay said NHS delays caused by Covid were behind some of the excess deaths being reported in England and Wales.

“All countries across Europe are facing a similar issue. One [reason] is the consequence of the pandemic. Clearly, during the pandemic there will be some patients who delayed treatment — we’re clearly seeing some of that playing through in cardiovascular conditions, there will be some of those deaths directly linked to Covid itself.

“Some of it will be indirectly where, for example, if someone is waiting for treatment, we’ve got a challenge in terms of people waiting for operations, which we’re working actively to clear.

“It is extremely complicated as to what the driver of those excess deaths are, that’s something we’re looking closely, I’m talking to the chief medical officer”, he told Sky News.