Health

Austerity in England linked to more than 50,000 extra deaths in five years

Austerity cuts to the NHS, public health and social care have killed tens of thousands more people in England than expected, according to the largest study of its kind.

Researchers who analysed the joint impact of cuts to healthcare, public health and social care since 2010 found that even in just the following four years the spending squeeze was linked with 57,550 more deaths than would have been expected. The findings, worse than previously thought, were revealed in the journal BMJ Open.

The research by the University of York also found that a slowdown in life expectancy improvement coincided with the government’s sharp cuts to health and social care funding after David Cameron came to power a decade ago.

“Restrictions on the growth in health and social care expenditure during ‘austerity’ have been associated with tens of thousands more deaths than would have been observed had pre-austerity expenditure growth been sustained,” said Prof Karl Claxton of the Centre for Health Economics at the University of York.

“Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that the slowdown in the rate of improvement in life expectancy in England and Wales since 2010 is attributable to spending constraints in the healthcare and social care sectors.”

Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow health secretary, described the findings as shocking and said they were proof that the government’s austerity drive had deepened health inequalities across the country.

“This is a devastating verdict on a decade of Tory austerity in healthcare,” he said. “The test of ‘levelling up’ will be ministers properly funding social care and public health to now tackle these inequalities.”

Separate research by Imperial College London, published in the Lancet Public Health journal, found life expectancy in many communities in England was falling even before the pandemic.

While life expectancy rose in most places during the first decade of the millennium, from 2010 in some areas it started to decline. By 2014 that deterioration had accelerated, researchers discovered, with life expectancy falling for women in almost one in five communities (18.7%), and for men in one in nine places (11.5%).

The worst-hit areas were typically in urban areas in the north. They include Blackpool, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle.

Researchers have made various attempts at calculating the true impact of the austerity measures led by Cameron. But the University of York study is the first to jointly analyse the effect of the significant slowdown in NHS, public health and social care spending on death rates in England.

Researchers said real social care spending rose by 2.2% per capita of the population between 2001-02 and 2009-10, but fell by 1.57% between 2010-11 and 2014-15. The loss of social care funding caused 23,662 additional deaths, according to the findings.

Real healthcare spend per capita rose by 3.82% between 2001-02 and 2009-10, but only by 0.41% between 2010-11 and 2014-15. The cuts to healthcare spending between 2010-11 and 2014-15 led to 33,888 extra deaths, the researchers calculated.

In total, the study suggested the constraints on health and social care spending during this period of austerity have been associated with 57,550 more deaths up to 2014 than would have been expected if funding had stayed at pre-2010 levels.

David Finch, an assistant director of healthy lives at the Health Foundation thinktank, said the study showed why ministers must now put health at the “front and centre” of their levelling-up agenda.

Even before Covid, he said, there was “an extremely concerning pattern of stalling life expectancy, particularly in the poorest areas of the country”. The pandemic had “since laid bare the tragic consequences of underlying poor health”, he said.

“As we plan the pandemic recovery, there is an urgent need to ensure that we don’t repeat mistakes made during the recovery from the financial crisis. This includes tackling the backlog of NHS care and fixing social care, but also providing security for the many families that are struggling financially. Policies such as the cut to universal credit run counter to this objective,” Finch said.

“To meet the scale of this challenge, government needs to put improving health at the front and centre of all major policies, including levelling up. This will require action on everything from housing and employment to education and transport.”

Boris Johnson last month pledged a £12bn-a-year cash injection to help the NHS catch up after the pandemic and to overhaul social care. Household budgets will take a hit from next April when employees’ national insurance contributions will rise by 1.25% to pay for the funding boost.

The Department of Health and Social Care has been approached for comment.

Health

Oyo confirms 4 deaths in suspected Lassa fever outbreak

The Oyo State Rapid Response Team, on Thursday, confirmed four deaths linked to a suspected Lassa fever outbreak in the Saki West Local Government Area of the state.

A statement by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Dotun Oyelade, in Ibadan, the state capital, quoted his counterpart from the Ministry of Health, Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, saying the fatalities consisted three males and one 32-year-old female who was preparing for her marriage.

The report was that an owner of a hospital, alongside three others, died in the town mysteriously.

Following numerous calls reporting deaths in the town, the commissioner tasked the team to Saki to investigate.

“The background information gathered that one of the apprentices at the hospital who had returned from Iwajowa and fell ill about two weeks before the incident was suspected to have introduced the infection.

“She likely transmitted it to her co-workers and the hospital owner.

“Three of the deceased exhibited typical symptoms of Lassa fever, including craniofacial bleeding, while the hospital owner showed fatigue and self-medicated with antimalarials and antibiotics.

“His condition only prompted hospital admission when his self-treatment failed,” the statement read.

It added, “Extensive contact tracing was conducted, with particular focus on high-risk contacts who had been involved in the bathing and burial of the deceased.

“The hospital where all the deceased were associated was closed down for decontamination.

“The hospital that admitted the deceased health facility owner, without being informed of the deaths from an ‘unknown’ illness, was also shut down for decontamination, and the doctor was placed under surveillance.

“Public awareness campaigns were held to educate the community about Lassa fever, its transmission, symptoms, and preventive measures.

“The RRT provided on-the-job training to health workers in the affected areas to reinforce Infection Prevention Control protocols and prevent further spread of the disease.

“Sample collection was also carried out on a person exhibiting symptoms, pending laboratory confirmation. The line listing of contacts is still in progress, focusing on individuals at high risk”.

The government team also conducted an advocacy visit to the palace of the Okere of Saki, who was represented by his second-in-command, and was briefed on the outbreak and the necessary containment measures.

“Local government authorities within Saki West were equally informed and aligned with the efforts to manage the situation”, the statement added.

Investigation, according to the commissioner, also revealed that the outbreak initially involved the council, but had extended to Iwajowa and Kajola local government areas.

He said the State Disease Notification Officer in the respective areas had been instructed to begin preliminary containment efforts while awaiting the full deployment of the State RRT.

The team, comprising the Director of Public Health, the State Epidemiologist, DSNOs, State Laboratory Focal Persons, representatives from the World Health Organisation and Red Cross, as well as the PHC Coordinator of Saki West and the LGA DSNO, embarked on a comprehensive investigation to the scene of the incidence.

Health

NCDC issues public advisory on Lassa Fever, warns of increased spread

FG issues Lassa fever alert, death toll hits 102, cases now 4,632

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, NCDC has issued a public health advisory on Lassa fever warning of increased case detection and spread of the viral infection.

The Director General of the NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, raised the concerns following increased reporting of the outbreak by its surveillance teams across the country.

At a press briefing in Abuja, Dr Idris said the death toll from Lassa Fever in Nigeria has risen to 174 out of 1,035 confirmed cases across 28 states and 129 LGAs as of October 13, 2024.

”Lassa fever outbreaks are highly virulent and the loss of human lives resulting from disease are not just statistics but represent the death of beloved family members, spouses and parents.

”In 2022, Nigeria reported 1,067 confirmed cases across 27 states and 112 LGAs. In 2023, 28 states and 114 LGAs reported confirmed cases, with 9,155 suspected cases, 1,270 confirmed cases, and 227 deaths.

”While we continue to intensify efforts using an all-of-society approach, the public is hereby advised to note that the virus spreads through direct contact with urine, faeces, saliva, or blood of infected rats. Contact with objects, household items, and surfaces contaminated with the urine, faeces, saliva, or blood of infected rats.

”Consuming food or water contaminated with the urine, faeces, saliva, or blood of infected rats or person-to-person transmission through body fluids of an infected person.

Dr Idris also warned health care professionals to be alert as Lassa fever presents like other common illnesses accompanied by fever, headache, general body weakness, cough, nausea, vomiting,

While noting that early diagnosis and treatment of the disease greatly increase the chances of patient survival, Dr Idris highlighted the economic cost of Lassa Fever to communities and the healthcare system.

”The disease is also associated with significant loss of livelihood in the communities it ravages. Heads of households are unable to work when exposed to Lassa fever and when other household members are infected, the cost of care and treatment of the disease strains existing household income pushing households toward poverty.

”Healthcare workers are also vulnerable and the loss of experienced medical personnel due to infection further strains the country’s limited healthcare workforce.”

Health

Ayedatiwa rolls out free health services for Ondo residents

As parts of efforts towards ensuring residents of Ondo state are in good health at all times, the state government has concluded a three-day free medical outreach across the 18 local government areas of the state.

The medical outreach approved by Governor Aiyedatiwa was implemented the Ondo state Primary Healthcare Development Agency, OSPHCDA under the leadership of the Permanent secretary, Dr Francis Adegoke Akanbiemu and was effectively monitored by primary healthcare coordinators at the council areas.

During the programme which ran simultaneously across the 18 local government areas between Thursday 7th and Saturday 9th of November, 2024 across the eighteen local government areas, beneficiaries including artisans, civil servants, traders, farmers among others were screened for both communicable and non-communicable health conditions.

The beneficiaries were checked for Hepatitis B, Hernia, hypertension, Diabetes and malaria.

Those tested to be having the medical conditions received free drugs and counselling on how to successfully manage the ailments while those that required surgical intervention had been slated for the procedure in tertiary health facilities free of charge.

Some of the primary healthcare coordinators who supervised the exercise were Dr Poghikumo Iduwoni in Ese-odo, Debo Oyewole in Ose, and Dr Olawanle in Irele local government areas.

Speaking with journalists, the coordinators described the turn out of residents for the free medical outreach as impressive.

They said the programme would further lower morbidity rate among the people of Ondo state.

Some of the beneficiaries, Mrs Ebunoluwa Oke, Modupe Ayelomi and Mr Ugochi Benedict who confirmed that they were screened for some ailments and treated at no cost appreciated Governor Aiyedatiwa for giving priority attention to the health of Ondo state people especially at this time when some Nigerians with health challenges could not afford their drugs due to economic hardship.

They expressed their support to the administration of Governor Aiyedatiwa so that they could continue to enjoy free healthcare services.

In a remark, the Permanent Secretary, Ondo state healthcare development agency, OSPHCDA Dr Francis Akanbiemu explained that the free medical outreach was approved by Governor Aiyedatiwa towards ensuring that residents of the state have access to free healthcare services as part of dividends of democracy.

Dr Akanbiemu said the governor had also approved that the programme would now be carried out every three months to make it go round the nooks and crannies of the state.

The permanent secretary restated the commitment of the state government in leading a healthy state through various free healthcare services programmes already being implemented by his administration.