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Excess Death Trends
16 January 2024
Lead MP
Andrew Bridgen
North West Leicestershire
Con
Responding Minister
Maria Caulfield
Tags
NHSEconomyTaxation
Word Count: 13745
Other Contributors: 21
At a Glance
Andrew Bridgen raised concerns about excess death trends in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
The MP calls for transparency and the release of record-level data on dosage, dates, and deaths from the UK Health Security Agency. He urges urgent investigation into the safety and efficacy of vaccines during the pandemic period, highlighting that the public inquiry has postponed its module on vaccine safety indefinitely. The MP also asks for an end to harassment of those raising concerns about the issue.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
The MP is concerned about the significant rise in deaths from 2019 onwards, with a peak of 65,000 excess deaths in 2020 and a continued high of 44,000 excess deaths in 2021. He notes that after such a rise, there should be a deficit, but instead, the number of deaths has remained high. The MP points to data showing a 6% increase above recent averages in both 2022 and 2023, with particularly high numbers among younger age groups. He cites Professor Carl Heneghan's research indicating that excess deaths are predominantly related to cardiovascular disease, which cannot be explained by COVID-19, population growth or an ageing population.
Erith and Thamesmead
Ms Oppong-Asare highlighted the importance of recording and understanding trends in excess mortality to address health issues. She disagreed with claims linking excess deaths to covid-19 vaccines, citing extensive research supporting vaccine safety. She pointed out that male life expectancy is down 38 weeks from its pre-pandemic peak, and female life expectancy is down 23 weeks. Ms Oppong-Asare also criticised the Government for not being fully prepared during the pandemic and failing to meet NHS targets, with waiting lists at 7.6 million patients.
Rochdale
In 2022, nearly as many excess deaths occurred across the UK as during the blitz. There have been excess deaths every year in Yorkshire since the pandemic. Concerns are raised about the NHS's silence on the causes and measures to alleviate this issue.
Andrew Selous
Con
South West Bedfordshire
He supported the debate's importance and emphasised the need for evidence-based science, challenging data when necessary. He cited ONS statistics showing lower mortality rates in 2022 compared to 2020 and highlighted the NHS programme aiming to provide additional treatments.
Carla Lockhart
DUP
Upper Bann
The MP questioned whether more needs to be done to investigate complications and deaths related to vaccinations for cancer patients.
Caroline Johnson
Con
Sleaford and North Hykeham
The hon. Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham highlighted that while there was a decline in deaths post-pandemic, the total number of deaths in 2021 and 2022 exceeded pre-2020 levels. She noted an increase in child mortality rates from March 2023 data and questioned the Minister about investigations into causes and preventive measures for further deaths. Caroline Johnson also criticised the focus on personal disputes rather than learning lessons from lockdowns and vaccinations. The Minister is saying that the number of people dying who are vaccinated is higher than the number of people who are not. That is to be expected because they are more likely to be older and frailer. Does she have any data that are adjusted for age and frailty—to say whether the vaccinated population are more or less likely to die?
Christchurch
Asked about the postponement of module 4 of the public inquiry into vaccine safety and highlighted the need for an urgent inquiry.
Dean Russell
Con
Hertfordshire East
I pay tribute to the hon. Member for North West Leicestershire for securing this debate and highlight concerns about delays in coroner investigations due to an increase in complicated deaths, causing distress among grieving families who need regular updates from coroners.
The MP discussed the lack of trust among constituents regarding excess deaths and emphasised the need for transparency in establishing the causes behind these higher death rates. He cited examples of individuals who died after choosing not to seek medical help or due to delays in treatment.
George Howarth
Lab
Knowsley
The hon. Member for North West Leicestershire's arguments are based on controversial and contested evidence. George Howarth attended a meeting chaired by Andrew Bridgen where he was alarmed at the misleading assertions presented, akin to those made in the MMR scandal which harmed vaccination rates. He raised concerns about the accuracy of data presented at these meetings with the Office of National Statistics.
Graham Stringer
Lab
Blackley and Middleton South
Called for an inquiry to establish what happened with regard to difficult issues, suggesting that the current inquiry is failing to do so properly.
Grahame Morris
Lab
Easington
Mr Morris highlighted delayed access to cancer treatment and health inequalities. He pointed out that the UK is lagging behind other countries in cancer outcomes due to inequitable access to radiotherapy services, which was exacerbated by the pandemic. He also discussed a report on health inequalities in England and Wales and stressed the political nature of public health issues.
Gregory Campbell
DUP
East Londonderry
Mr Campbell agreed with Mr Morris's point that societal and governmental focus should not be entirely consumed by one public health issue at the expense of others.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
The MP expressed concern about unanswered questions regarding excess deaths linked to vaccines and called for an investigation into medical evidence suggesting a need for scrutiny. He noted instances of young men in his constituency suffering from unexplained cardiomyopathy, highlighting the importance of addressing constituents' concerns.
Carmarthen East and Dinefwr
Emphasised the need for using accurate data, particularly the age-standardised mortality rate dataset, in addressing excess deaths.
Jonathan Gullis
Lab
Ealing North
The MP agrees with his colleague's concerns, noting that there is a lack of transparency in public inquiries and questioning why investigations are being delayed until after the general election. He suggests that political pressure may be hindering proper investigation.
Karl McCartney
Con
Lincoln
He expressed concern over higher excess deaths among men, particularly between ages 25-64. He questioned the lack of research into causes and suggested a need for investigations by Government departments to address these issues.
Luke Evans
Con
Hinckley and Bosworth
Asked about distinguishing correlation from causation in the context of excess deaths. Highlighted the importance of understanding factors like lockdowns, late presentation, or NHS access.
Ms Cates argued for a longer debate on excess deaths due to high demand from Members and public interest. She noted that lockdowns changed society significantly and expressed concerns about the conditions under which decisions were made during the pandemic, calling for a more comprehensive investigation into these factors.
Neale Hanvey
SDLP
North Down
Neale Hanvey raised concerns about the safe use of novel mRNA agents and alleged roles in excess deaths, asserting that dismissing data and clinical evidence is irresponsible. He highlighted the importance of good clinical practice (GCP) standards and criticised politicians for undermining ethical principles. The yellow card scheme sits at the heart of safe clinical care. Allegations are circulating that the MHRA is sitting on 50 times more yellow cards related to the covid-19 vaccine than those related to any other vaccine that have been reported to it. Will she commit to asking the MHRA to account for that and to taking urgent action if, indeed, it is sitting on the reports?
During the public inquiry, should greater importance not have been placed on investigating the excess deaths, as opposed to delaying that part of the inquiry? On a related point, will the Minister give way?
Philip Davies
Con
Shipley
Philip Davies pointed out non-covid excess deaths, particularly at home, increasing since March 2020 with over 110,000 such deaths recorded. He cited The Lancet article indicating a rise in cardiac-related deaths among young adults and called for timely granular analyses to inform prevention efforts.
Government Response
Maria Caulfield
Government Response
There is an increase in excess deaths due to factors such as high flu prevalence, cardiovascular diseases, and the impact of lockdowns. The number of positive tests for flu peaked at 31.8% last winter, which was the highest figure in six years. In response to these issues, the government has invested £17 million in innovative new digital health checks and £645 million for blood pressure checks in community pharmacies. The minister also addressed concerns about vaccine safety, stating that people who have received a covid-19 vaccine have a lower mortality rate than those who have not been vaccinated according to ONS data. She emphasized the importance of continually monitoring vaccine safety through systems like the MHRA and highlighted the need for careful language regarding vaccines to avoid deterring parents from vaccinating their children.
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About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.