A number of my constituents have been in touch about the excess deaths reported by the Office of National Statistics (ONS); I understand your concerns.

The Government is taking steps to reduce excess deaths (the number of deaths above the five-year average), including those which involve Covid-19. Vaccines remain the first line of defence against Covid-19. Antivirals and other treatments play a crucial role in protecting patients who become infected with Covid-19, particularly those for whom the vaccine may be less effective such as the immunosuppressed.  The Covi-19 vaccine has saved lives and there is no evidence linking it to excess deaths. England’s mortality rate in 2022 was significantly lower than it had been in 2020, before the introduction of the Covid vaccination programme.  Analysis from the Office for National Statistics, published in August last year, also shows that people who have had a COVID-19 vaccine have a lower mortality rate than those who haven't been vaccinated.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) followed rigorous procedures to ensure the vaccines met the necessary high standards in safety and efficacy. The MHRA is one of the most respected regulators in the world and I welcome that the World Health Organisation not only backed its approach, but also commended its work.

The Government is preparing for variants of Covid-19 and influenza through the Covid-19 booster and flu vaccination programmes, minimising hospital admissions from both viruses. Going forward, I strongly encourage eligible people to get their booster jab and their flu jab to protect themselves, their loved ones and the NHS.

Clearly, the disruption caused by Covid-19 has had a significant impact on those people who were living with cancer and other major conditions. The Government is taking steps to reduce excess deaths due to these conditions, including through a delivery plan setting out how the NHS will expand elective services over the next three years. The plan commits the NHS to deliver nine million additional treatments and diagnostic procedures over the next three years and around 30 per cent more elective activity than it was doing before the pandemic by 2024/25. 

Further, the Government intends to publish a Major Conditions Strategy to tackle conditions that contribute most to morbidity and mortality across the population in England including: cancers; cardiovascular disease, including stroke and diabetes; chronic respiratory diseases; dementia; mental ill health; and musculoskeletal conditions.

Missed appointments and health checks due to the pandemic have contributed to excess deaths. The Prime Minister has made it clear that reducing waiting lists for NHS treatment is one of his key priorities over the coming months.

In February 2022, the Government published a plan for recovering elective care, with a clear commitment to eliminate long waits for treatment. By 2025, no one should be waiting more than a year for elective care in the NHS, and waiting times for referral to treatment for cancer care should return to pre-pandemic levels. The NHS has met its target that no one should be waiting longer than two years for treatment, and significant progress was made in reducing the number of patients waiting 78 weeks or more by April 2023.

Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) - backed by £2.3 billion of funding - are making a significant impact in reducing the Covid-19 backlogs by delivering an extra 3.2 million vital tests, checks and scans to date. The Government committed to rolling out 160 CDCs across England by 2025, but I am sure you will be pleased to learn that all 160 centres will be open by March 2024, a year ahead of the original March 2025 target. A new CDC opened at the start of the year in Beeching Road in Bexhill and I have received positive feedback from constituents on the care and service they have received there.

Over 50 new surgical hubs will open across England, providing at least 100 more operating theatres and over 1,000 beds. This will allow hundreds of thousands more patients to have quicker access to vital procedures and help tackle the care backlog.

The Chancellor made a number of spending commitments at the 2022 Autumn Statement, making available £8 billion of funding for the NHS and adult social care in England in 2024-25. As part of this, the Government is investing an additional £3.3 billion in 2023-24 and 2024-25 to support the NHS in England and improve elective performance.