New report suggests austerity policies linked to 120,000 deaths

A new study has indicated that cuts to health and social care spending are directly leading to increased mortality rates in England.

The University College London research analysed data on population deaths and life expectancy since 2001, comparing actual death rates with those that would be expected based on trends before the government's austerity policies came into play.

Between 2001 and 2010, deaths in England fell by an average of 0.77 percent every year, but rose by an average of 0.87 percent every year between 2011 and 2014. Overall, it was suggested that austerity measures since 2010 may be linked to nearly 120,000 excess deaths.

Most of these deaths were among the over-60s and care home residents, with changes in the numbers of hospital and community nurses seen as the major factor.

It was also estimated that an extra 152,141 people could die between 2015 and 2020 unless the government commits an additional 6.3 billion pounds a year to the NHS.

Study co-author Dr Wulan Wulaningsih of the University College London Institute of Cardiovascular Science said: "Our study suggests that it may be beneficial to improve care delivered in care homes and at home to mitigate adverse health outcomes associated with spending constraints."

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