Avoidable Mortality in England and Wales, 2013

20 May 2015 03:37 PM

Main points

• In 2013, approximately 23% (114,740 out of 506,790) of all deaths registered in England and Wales were from causes considered avoidable through good quality healthcare or wider public health interventions.
• In England and Wales, the majority (at least 60%) of potentially avoidable deaths in each year between 2001 and 2013 were among males.
• Avoidable mortality rates for cardiovascular disease (disease of the heart or blood vessels) fell by 52% between 2001 and 2013, the greatest decrease by any broad cause group. This decrease meant that neoplasms (cancer and non-cancerous abnormal tissue growths), which fell by 17%, replaced cardiovascular disease in 2007 as the cause group responsible for the majority of avoidable deaths.
• Breaking the causes into more detail, Ischaemic (coronary) heart disease was the most common individual cause of avoidable death for all persons, accounting for 17% (19,951 out of 114,740) of these deaths in 2013.
• When the sexes were examined separately, Ischaemic heart disease was the most common cause of avoidable deaths for males, but for females it was lung cancer.
• In 2013, Ischaemic heart disease accounted for 22% (15,078 out of 69,245) of avoidable male deaths, while lung cancer accounted for 15% (6,823 out of 45,495) of avoidable female deaths.
• In both England and Wales, avoidable mortality rates were higher for males than females. While the gap between the sexes narrowed in England, it increased in Wales.
• Avoidable mortality rates fell significantly in all regions between 2001 and 2013. The greatest decrease was in London, where rates for males and females fell by 38% and 36% respectively. The smallest decrease was in the South West, where rates for males and females fell by 27% and 23% respectively.

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